IL35586A - Crate for packing and transporting foodstuffs,particularly fruits and vegetables - Google Patents

Description

35586/2 Crate for packing and transporting foodstuffs, particularly fruits and vegetables MOHTEOATIUI EDISON S.p.A 0:33638 The present invention concerns a orate for packing and transporting foodstuffs or other products, particularly fruits and vegetables. The conventional crates used for this purpose are mostly made of wood, cardboard, or of wood and cardboard.; The main drawback of these conventional type crates lies in that they allow no safe stacking, wherefore the crates are generally fixed down on the transporting vehicles in a rambling way by means of ropes or other systems Another drawback of the conventional type crates is that of the tare weighing on the total weight of the products normally contained by more than 55.

Object O this invention is that of providing a crate for packing and transporting foodstuffs and other products, particularly fruits and vegetables, which ensures a safe stacking and which makes up less than 5 of the total weight of the normal contents .f Q$her ob ects and advantages will become evident from the following description of a crate for packing and transporting foodstuffs or other products, particularly fruits and vegetables,· consisting of two distinct sections one of which is a supporting structure and the other an inner lining,,.: and in which,, according to this invention,;- said supporting structure is a frame-of plastic material-of a -rectangular shape, ; plan, formed of four vertical comer : stanchions protruding above the side walls of the crate and connected a 1 each of the long walls by two horizontal ribs and at eaoh of the short walls b three horizontal ribs, the two horizontal ribs of each long wall being connected with f -3- * short wall being connected by one vertical rib and the two upper horizontal ribs of each short wall by secondary vertical ribs, the bottom of the crate being formed by three longitudinal ribs, three transversal ribs and four ribs with a diagonal direction and arranged parallelogram-like the walls of the crate being of full cross-section, the longitudinal walls being perforated, said inner lining consisting of a corrugated cardboard wrapper or a wrapper made o thin sheet of another material.

The crate object of this invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to the attached drawing,, given for purely exemplifying and not limiting purposes, whereint Fig,„ 1 represents a longitudinal view of the supporting structure of the crate, partially oross-sectioned along the line A-A of Fig., 3; , Fig. 2 represents a side view of the supporting structure of Fig, Im partially cross-seotioned along line B-B of Fig. 3? : Fig.,,3 represents a top plan view of the supporting structure of Figs. 1 and 2% Fig..4 represents an inner lining for the supporting structure of Figs. 1, 2 and 3· With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3# the supporting structure of the crate consists of a frame of plastic material showing a rectangular plan. The frame has our vertical corner stanchions 1 protruding (as indicated by reference 2) above the long side walls of the crate so as to allow an easy and safe stackin of the crates one on the other the eb Each stanchion 1 has three vertical ribs (3) and the stanchions are connected to each other, in correspondence with each long side wall, by two horizontal ribs (4) and in correspondence with each short side walls by three horizontal ribs (5).

The horizontal ribs (4) of each of the long side walls are connected to each other by three vertical ribs (6) . The long side walls have a full cross-section but along thei length there are holes (7) which ensure a maximum ventilation of the product contained in the crate.

The short side walls, in their lower part, have also a full cross-section, but have no holes. The two lower horizontal ribs (5) of each of the short side walls are connected to each other by a vertical rib (8) while the two upper horizontal ribs (5) are connected to each other by four secondary vertical ribs (9) which allow to grip and lift more easily the crate and its content.

The bottom of the supporting structure is formed by three longitudinal ribs (10), three transversal ribs (11) and by four ribs (12) arranged in a diagonal direction so a3 to form a parallelogram.

Bach vertical stanchion (1) is conneoted to the adjacent long side wall by a guide connection stay (13) which facilitates the stacking of the crates one on the other when loaded and stored in storehouses or on transporting vehicles.

The ribs of the supporting structure may be simple, double, rectangular, tee, channel, double channel sectioned or present an other cross-section (for instance a triangular cross-section) suitable for supporting the load charged on them. The bottom ribs (10), (11) and (12) may have either a uniform or a variable section; In this latter case It is advisable that the cross-section increases from the periphery towards the crate centre and that the thickening of the cross-section is made in the upper section of the ribs so as to give the bottom a pyramidal shape apt to take the stresses on the walls, thus reducing the possibility of yieldings, under the content weight, to a minimum.

At the side walls of the supporting frame suitable seats may be foreseen for looking in or inserting removable straps that connect opposite side walls , thereby stiffening the whole supporting structure. These straps may consist, for instance, of strips of plastic material with two slots at their ends.

The supporting structure ca , be manufactured in various sizes and is preferably made of polymers or co-polymers of sty ene, propylene and ethylene, possible reinforced with fiberglass or asbestos fibres, Or with an other suitable filler.

With reference, to Fig. 4, it has to be pointed out that the inner lining. consists conveniently of a corrugated cardboard sheet (15) or of any other suitable flexible material. This lining, made either of one single a better ventilation of the contents. Moreover, said lining may be either completely loose from the supporting structure or it may be joined to it by hooks, glueing, welding and the like.

In certain instances, for example when pears, apples, peaches, apricots or other similar fruit must be packed or transported, the contents of the crates are arranged inside the supporting frame by using cell-like structured trays of plastic material; in other cases, especially when the content consists of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, grapes or the like, use is made of one or more small baskets or other types of containers of suitable size fitting the carrying frame and made either of plastics, cardboard, scaleboard, etc. ihe inner lining may also consist of a cardboard sheet fitted with a cover, also of cardboard, fixed down by glueing or by metal staples, so as to obtain a completely enclosed packing,

Claims (1)

1. 35586/2 - 7 - CLAIM Crate for packing and transporting foodstuffs or other products, particularly fruits and vegetables, consisting of two distinct sections of which one is a supporting structure and the other is an inner lining, characterized in that said supporting structure is a frame of plastic material, having a rectangular shape plan and consisting of four vertical corner stanchions protruding above the side walls of the crate, said stanchions having supporting feet and being interconnected at each of the long side walls by two horizontal ribs and at each of the short side walls by three horizontal ribs , the two horizontal ribs of each long side wall being connected by three vertical ribs, the lower ribs of each short side wall by a vertical rib and the upper ribs of each short side wall by secondary vertical ribs, the bottom of the crate being formed by three longitudinal ribs, three transversal ribs and four ribs with a diagonal direction arranged like a parallelogram, the walls of the orate being of full cross-section but with the long walls perforated, said inner lining consisting, finally, of a wrapper made of a corrugated cardboard sheet or of a thin sheet of other material. For the Applicants ARTHERS