GB2117618A

GB2117618A - Grass box

Info

Publication number: GB2117618A
Application number: GB8308641A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Trelford
Original assignee: Black and Decker Inc
Current assignee: Black and Decker Inc
Priority date: 1982-03-29
Filing date: 1983-03-29
Publication date: 1983-10-19
Also published as: GB8308641D0; GB2117618B

Abstract

A grass box for a lawn mower or lawn scarifier has at least its floor (1) of a laminated construction comprising a core (5) of a flat sheet of a material for example cardboard and an enclosing envelope (6) of a plastics material. The edges of the envelope are welded together round the core (5) and are extended to form flexible side walls of the grass box. The box has a second wall (3, Fig. 3) which may also be of laminated form. Pockets (9), (10) formed along the free edges of the side and second walls receive a supporting frame for the box, the frame being mounted upon the mower or scarifier. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to containers This invention relates to containers and has particular reference to containers known as grass boxes for receiving cut grass and similar debris from a lawn mower during use and leaves and other debris thrown up during use by a lawn scarifier and by leaf collectors.

Some conventional grass boxes are fabricated from sheet metal and are expensive to produce, heavy and liable to rust. It has been suggested to mould the grass box from a suitable plastics material but this requires the use of large, expensive moulds.

It has also been proposed to employ boxes fabricated from fabric mesh but these are also relatively expensive to produce.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container, for example, a grass box that is of simple economic construction and is durable under the conditions of use to which it is exposed.

According to the present invention, a container comprises a wall of laminated form consisting of a planar core totally housed in an envelope of a plastics material, the envelope having extensions that form other walls of the container.

Other walls of the container may be of the laminated form referred to and, in one embodiment suitable for use as a grass box, the container has first and second walls hinged together along one edge and joined together by the said extensions. The hinging is effected by a flexible portion of the plastics material located between the two walls.

The core is preferably of a relatively cheap material having the requisite strength and for some applications cardboard sheet is satisfactory.

The plastics envelope may be of polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. The polypropylene may be of the so-called "layered" structure or it may be of woven form coated on one side.

Sheets of plastics material are employed to form the envelope, the edges of the sheet being secured together by a suitable process for example seam welding.

Where the container is designed as a grass box, pockets may be formed in the envelope at suitable locations to receive a supporting frame and support members by means of which the box is mounted upon a lawn mower or lawn scarifier.

By way of example only, a grass box which is suitable for a lawn mower or lawn scarifier and which embodies the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figs. 1,2 and 3 are, respectively, side view, rear view and plan view of the box when erect, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale through the base of the box.

The grass box is approximately of wedge shape when seen in side view as in Fig. 1, the floor 1 diverging outwardly slightly to a hinge line 2 with a second wall 3 that inclines upwardly, when the box is in use, from the floor. Interconnecting the floor 1 and second wall 3 are flexible webs 4 of approximately triangular shape. The webs are creased so that they fold inwardly when the second wall 3 is moved downwardly towards the floor 1.

The floor 1 is of laminated construction comprising a cardboard sheet core 5 totally housed within a plastics enevelope 6 made from polypropylene sheet. The edges of the envelope are heat sealed round the core as indicated at 7 and extended to form the flexible webs referred to above.

The envelope edge is also extended to provide a low wall 8 along that edge of the floor 1 opposite to the hinge line 2.

A pocket 9 is formed along the edge of the second wall that is large enough to permit the insertion of a I I shaped support. The short vertical limbs of the support are each formed to engage one end of two tubular supports whose other ends are located in suitable holes or brackets on the body of the mower or scarifier to support the grass box in an open configuration to receive grass and other debris. The tubular supports extend through pockets 10 in the flexible webs referred to above.

It will be appreciated that the construction just described is simple and economic to make. The cardboard is light yet provides sufficient rigidity and strength for the application envisaged. The plastics envelope provides protection and stops damp and wet affecting the strength of the cardboard. The box is readily packed in flat form and can easily be assembied when required for use.

The invention can also be embodied in containers used with grass collectors which may be either of the vacuum type in which case the container may receive leaves and other debris discharged through an exit hose or the collector may have rotary brushes which th row the leaves and other debris into the container.

A container for use with a vacuum type collector may have a single rigid wall of the laminated construction described above and which is apertured to receive the end of the exit hose and which supports the remainder of the container. in an alternative form of grass box, the second wall 3 may also be of the laminated construction described above being protected by a plastics envelope which may be formed from the plastics sheet used to enevelope core 5 for the fioor 1.The hinge line between the floor 1 and the wall 3 is constituted by a flexible section of the heat sealed edges of the envelopes of the floor and wall.

The grass box may be supported in ways other than that described above. For example, clips of a moulded plastics material may befitted over the pockets after insertion of the tubes to improve the appearance - the clips constituting a decorative trim.

Alternatively, trims with short lengths of tube supports may be used in conjunction with the pockets, the latter being formed with gaps to accommodate the tube supports of the trim.

1. A container having at least one wall comprising a planar core totally housed in an envelope of a plastics material, the envelope having extensions that form other walls of the container.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which at

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to containers This invention relates to containers and has particular reference to containers known as grass boxes for receiving cut grass and similar debris from a lawn mower during use and leaves and other debris thrown up during use by a lawn scarifier and by leaf collectors. Some conventional grass boxes are fabricated from sheet metal and are expensive to produce, heavy and liable to rust. It has been suggested to mould the grass box from a suitable plastics material but this requires the use of large, expensive moulds. It has also been proposed to employ boxes fabricated from fabric mesh but these are also relatively expensive to produce. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container, for example, a grass box that is of simple economic construction and is durable under the conditions of use to which it is exposed. According to the present invention, a container comprises a wall of laminated form consisting of a planar core totally housed in an envelope of a plastics material, the envelope having extensions that form other walls of the container. Other walls of the container may be of the laminated form referred to and, in one embodiment suitable for use as a grass box, the container has first and second walls hinged together along one edge and joined together by the said extensions. The hinging is effected by a flexible portion of the plastics material located between the two walls. The core is preferably of a relatively cheap material having the requisite strength and for some applications cardboard sheet is satisfactory. The plastics envelope may be of polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. The polypropylene may be of the so-called "layered" structure or it may be of woven form coated on one side. Sheets of plastics material are employed to form the envelope, the edges of the sheet being secured together by a suitable process for example seam welding. Where the container is designed as a grass box, pockets may be formed in the envelope at suitable locations to receive a supporting frame and support members by means of which the box is mounted upon a lawn mower or lawn scarifier. By way of example only, a grass box which is suitable for a lawn mower or lawn scarifier and which embodies the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figs. 1,2 and 3 are, respectively, side view, rear view and plan view of the box when erect, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale through the base of the box. The grass box is approximately of wedge shape when seen in side view as in Fig. 1, the floor 1 diverging outwardly slightly to a hinge line 2 with a second wall 3 that inclines upwardly, when the box is in use, from the floor. Interconnecting the floor 1 and second wall 3 are flexible webs 4 of approximately triangular shape. The webs are creased so that they fold inwardly when the second wall 3 is moved downwardly towards the floor 1. The floor 1 is of laminated construction comprising a cardboard sheet core 5 totally housed within a plastics enevelope 6 made from polypropylene sheet. The edges of the envelope are heat sealed round the core as indicated at 7 and extended to form the flexible webs referred to above. The envelope edge is also extended to provide a low wall 8 along that edge of the floor 1 opposite to the hinge line 2. A pocket 9 is formed along the edge of the second wall that is large enough to permit the insertion of a I I shaped support. The short vertical limbs of the support are each formed to engage one end of two tubular supports whose other ends are located in suitable holes or brackets on the body of the mower or scarifier to support the grass box in an open configuration to receive grass and other debris. The tubular supports extend through pockets 10 in the flexible webs referred to above. It will be appreciated that the construction just described is simple and economic to make. The cardboard is light yet provides sufficient rigidity and strength for the application envisaged. The plastics envelope provides protection and stops damp and wet affecting the strength of the cardboard. The box is readily packed in flat form and can easily be assembied when required for use. The invention can also be embodied in containers used with grass collectors which may be either of the vacuum type in which case the container may receive leaves and other debris discharged through an exit hose or the collector may have rotary brushes which th row the leaves and other debris into the container. A container for use with a vacuum type collector may have a single rigid wall of the laminated construction described above and which is apertured to receive the end of the exit hose and which supports the remainder of the container. in an alternative form of grass box, the second wall 3 may also be of the laminated construction described above being protected by a plastics envelope which may be formed from the plastics sheet used to enevelope core 5 for the fioor 1.The hinge line between the floor 1 and the wall 3 is constituted by a flexible section of the heat sealed edges of the envelopes of the floor and wall. The grass box may be supported in ways other than that described above. For example, clips of a moulded plastics material may befitted over the pockets after insertion of the tubes to improve the appearance - the clips constituting a decorative trim. Alternatively, trims with short lengths of tube supports may be used in conjunction with the pockets, the latter being formed with gaps to accommodate the tube supports of the trim. CLAIMS

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of the other walls also comprises at least one of the other walls also comprises a core of planar material totally housed in an envelope of a plastics material.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 in which the one wall and the one other wall are hinged together by a flexible portion of the plastics material.

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which some at least of the other walls have free edges along which pockets are formed to receive a supporting member or members.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 in which trims in the form of clips located over the pockets secure the latter to the supporting member or members.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 in which pockets are gapped, and in which the trims include spaced supports for the members, the spaced supports being positioned in the gaps.

7. A grass box for a lawn mower or lawn scarifier substantially as herein described with reference to and as indicated by the accompanying drawings.