GB2193191A

GB2193191A - Box pallet

Info

Publication number: GB2193191A
Application number: GB08618942A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Edward Paul Coats; John Owen Ryan
Original assignee: STC PLC
Current assignee: STC PLC
Priority date: 1986-08-02
Filing date: 1986-08-02
Publication date: 1988-02-03
Also published as: GB8618942D0

Abstract

A box or case for the transport of electronic or telecommunication equipment is made from a fibreboard blank which is folded and secured together to form a generally parallelpipedal box. Two of the panels (9, 11) of the blank are folded to define columnar enclosures of rectangular cross-section, each of which is filled with a filler of, for instance, a light-weight foamed plastics. These enclosures thus define a gap under the box which can receive the fork of a fork-lift truck. When the box is filled and closed, it can be surrounded by one or more steel straps to secure it shut. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Box The present invention relates to a generally parallelepipedal box for conveying a load. The pallet box to be described herein was designed specifically for conveying electronic and telecommunications equipment, but it has other uses.

In contemporary commercial practice such equipment is often air-freighted, in which case the added freight costs due to a conventional wooden box is considerable. Hence it is an object of this invention to produce a box which has adequate strength to safely convey the load, while being relatively light in weight.

The features of the present invention are set out in the attached claims.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a cardboard blank from which a box embodying the invention is made, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a box made up from a blank such as that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 2a is a "scrap" end-on view of the bottom of the box of Fig.

2.

The material used for the box is a high strength corrugated fibre board, although it will be appreciated that suitable plastics sheet can also be used.

As shown in Fig. 1, the box, which is known as a pallet box, is made from a single blank of the material to be used. The various panels of the box have been numbered in Fig.

1, and it will be seen later that these numbers have been used in the claims. Thus in the claims, panel 1 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the first panel.

When the box is to be assembled for use, it is folded at the vertical dashed lines and the tab 4a secured to the edge of the panel 1.

This can be done by stitching with wire staples, glueing or taping. Next, the panel 12 is folded inwards.

The panels 9 and 11 are similar; each is folded at the horizontal dashed lines to define a columnar enclosure into which is fitted a filler of rectangular cross-section. This filler is of a light-weight material such as a foamed plastics, although other raw materials such as wood could be used. The outer portion of each of the panels 9 and 11 is then folded against the underside of the panel 12. Finally panel 10 is folded over the outer portions of panels 9 and 11. The arrangement is now, at least as far as concerns the underside, as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 the fillers are shown cross-hatched at 13 and 14. Note, see Fig.

2a, that the panels 9 and 11 abut with panel 10 below them.

At this point it should be noted that panel 10 is narrower than panel 12 so that when the box is assembled it fits comfortably between the columnar enclosures.

The various panels 9,10,11 and 12 are secured together, as by staples. When it is standing on its bottom, the enclosures defined by the panels 9 and 11, each with its filler, act as supports. The forks of a fork-lift truck can now be fitted under the bottom of the box and between the columnar enclosures.

The box is now filled, and the upper panel 5,6,7,8 folded in to provide an upper enclosure for the box. The enclosure of the load is completed by a strap of, for instance, thin steel or a suitable plastics material, which surrounds the box as shown dotted in Fig. 2.

Such a box if made of suitable fibreboard is light but strong enough to contain electronic equipment or other unit loads. Naturally some additional internal packing to further protect the load is used.

Depending on the size of the box and the weight of the load, single, double or triple wall corrugated fibreboard is used. The joint tab 4a is positioned inside the panel 1 in the case of single and double wall boxes, and outside for triple wall boxes.

If some removable form of fastening is used instead of staples, the box can be collapsed after use and used again later.

One box embodying the invention has dimensions in millimetres of 1200 x 1000 x 1000, the box being square in cross-section as viewed from above. This box is intended to accommodate a load of up to about one ton. Another box embodying the invention has dimensions in millimetres of 1000 x 800 x 800, and is intended to accommodate a load of up to about half a ton.

The weights of these boxes are in the range of 15 to 25 kg., dependent on the grade of board used, for instance, single, double or triple-walled corrugated fibre board. This latter depends on the intended load. For comparison, a box of similar size and capacity and made of light plywood would have a weight in the range of 40-50 kg.

1. A blank from which a generally parallelepipedal box can be formed, wherein two of the panels of the box can be folded to define columnar enclosures which act as supports for the box, which leave the floor of the box between the enclosures clear of the surface on which the box rests.

2. A generally parallelepipedal box formed from a single blank, which includes: (a) first, second, third and fourth rectangular panels in contiguous linear array, with fold lines between adjacent ones of said panels; (b) a tab on the outer edge of the fourth of said panels which, when the box is assembled for use fits against and is secured to the outer edge of the first said panel; (c) fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth rectangular panels each integral with an edge of one

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Box The present invention relates to a generally parallelepipedal box for conveying a load. The pallet box to be described herein was designed specifically for conveying electronic and telecommunications equipment, but it has other uses. In contemporary commercial practice such equipment is often air-freighted, in which case the added freight costs due to a conventional wooden box is considerable. Hence it is an object of this invention to produce a box which has adequate strength to safely convey the load, while being relatively light in weight. The features of the present invention are set out in the attached claims. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a cardboard blank from which a box embodying the invention is made, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a box made up from a blank such as that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 2a is a "scrap" end-on view of the bottom of the box of Fig. 2. The material used for the box is a high strength corrugated fibre board, although it will be appreciated that suitable plastics sheet can also be used. As shown in Fig. 1, the box, which is known as a pallet box, is made from a single blank of the material to be used. The various panels of the box have been numbered in Fig. 1, and it will be seen later that these numbers have been used in the claims. Thus in the claims, panel 1 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the first panel. When the box is to be assembled for use, it is folded at the vertical dashed lines and the tab 4a secured to the edge of the panel 1. This can be done by stitching with wire staples, glueing or taping. Next, the panel 12 is folded inwards. The panels 9 and 11 are similar; each is folded at the horizontal dashed lines to define a columnar enclosure into which is fitted a filler of rectangular cross-section. This filler is of a light-weight material such as a foamed plastics, although other raw materials such as wood could be used. The outer portion of each of the panels 9 and 11 is then folded against the underside of the panel 12. Finally panel 10 is folded over the outer portions of panels 9 and 11. The arrangement is now, at least as far as concerns the underside, as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 the fillers are shown cross-hatched at 13 and 14. Note, see Fig. 2a, that the panels 9 and 11 abut with panel 10 below them. At this point it should be noted that panel 10 is narrower than panel 12 so that when the box is assembled it fits comfortably between the columnar enclosures. The various panels 9,10,11 and 12 are secured together, as by staples. When it is standing on its bottom, the enclosures defined by the panels 9 and 11, each with its filler, act as supports. The forks of a fork-lift truck can now be fitted under the bottom of the box and between the columnar enclosures. The box is now filled, and the upper panel 5,6,7,8 folded in to provide an upper enclosure for the box. The enclosure of the load is completed by a strap of, for instance, thin steel or a suitable plastics material, which surrounds the box as shown dotted in Fig. 2. Such a box if made of suitable fibreboard is light but strong enough to contain electronic equipment or other unit loads. Naturally some additional internal packing to further protect the load is used. Depending on the size of the box and the weight of the load, single, double or triple wall corrugated fibreboard is used. The joint tab 4a is positioned inside the panel 1 in the case of single and double wall boxes, and outside for triple wall boxes. If some removable form of fastening is used instead of staples, the box can be collapsed after use and used again later. One box embodying the invention has dimensions in millimetres of 1200 x 1000 x 1000, the box being square in cross-section as viewed from above. This box is intended to accommodate a load of up to about one ton. Another box embodying the invention has dimensions in millimetres of 1000 x 800 x 800, and is intended to accommodate a load of up to about half a ton. The weights of these boxes are in the range of 15 to 25 kg., dependent on the grade of board used, for instance, single, double or triple-walled corrugated fibre board. This latter depends on the intended load. For comparison, a box of similar size and capacity and made of light plywood would have a weight in the range of 40-50 kg. CLAIMS

2. A generally parallelepipedal box formed from a single blank, which includes: (a) first, second, third and fourth rectangular panels in contiguous linear array, with fold lines between adjacent ones of said panels; (b) a tab on the outer edge of the fourth of said panels which, when the box is assembled for use fits against and is secured to the outer edge of the first said panel; (c) fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth rectangular panels each integral with an edge of one of the first four panels, such that the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels are in linear array, wherein when the box is assembled the second four panels are folded inwards in an interleaved manner to enclose the inside of the box; and (d) ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth panels integral respectively with the edges of the first four panels which are opposite to the edges with which the second four panels are integal; wherein: (i) the ninth and eleventh panels each have fold lines so that they can be folded to define a columnar region and a sub-panel; (ii) when the box is assembled the ninth and eleventh panels are folded to define said columnar regions and the tenth and twelfth panels are also folded inwards, so that the sub-panels of the ninth and eleventh panels and the tenth and twelfth panels form a bottom to support the load of the box, said columnar regions forming ground supports for the box; (iii) wherein the gap between the columnar regions and under the third four panels provides a space which can receive a lifting device such as the fork of a fork-lift truck; and (iv) wherein when the box is loaded the second four panels folded over and are secured in place to properly enclose the load.

3. A box as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the box is assembled the sub-panels of the ninth and eleventh panels are in abutting relation and are between the tenth and the twelfth panels.

4. A box as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein each said columnar region receives a spacer of rectangular cross-section to give strength to the columnar regions.

5. A box as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the box is made of a high strength cardboard or plastics sheeting.

6. A box as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein when the box is assembled and loaded it is provided with at least one securing strap which surrounds the box, passing below the box between the two columnar regions.

7. A generally parallelepipedal box substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. A blank of a suitable material for assembly into a box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: A further claim has been filed as follows:

9. A generally parallelepipedal box formed from a single blank of high-strength cardboard or plastics sheeting, wherein the blank includes: (a) first, second, third and fourth rectangular panels in contiguous linear array, with fold lines between adjacent ones of said panels, the outer edge of the fourth of said panels being fitted to and secured to the outer edge of the first of said panels when the blank is erected for use, thus defining a generally parallelepipedal enclosure;; (b) fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels each integral with an edge of one of the first four panels such that the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels are in linear array, wherein when the box is erected from the blank the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels can be folded inwards in an interleaved manner so as to enclose the inside of the box; and (c) ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth panels integral respectively with the edges of the first four panels which are opposite to the edges with which the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels are integral; wherein: (i) the ninth and eleventh panels each have fold lines so that they can each be folded to define a sub-panel and a columnar region of rectangular cross-section one side of which is integral respectively with the first and third panels; (ii) when the box has been erected the ninth and eleventh panels are folded to define said columnar regions and their sub-panels are folded inwards and the tenth and twelfth panels are folded inwards, such that the subpanels of the ninth and eleventh panels and the tenth and twelfth panels together form a bottom to support a load in the box with the two sub-panels in abutting relation between the tenth and twelfth panels, said columnar regions forming ground supports for the box; (iii) the gap between the columnar regions and under the bottom of the box provides a space which can receive a lifting device such as the tines of a fork-lift truck; ; and (iv) when the box is loaded the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth panels are folded over in said interleaved manner and are secured in place to properly enclose the load.