US1064601A - Collapsible crate. - Google Patents

Description

' A. J. & W. H. BODKER.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 11.9, 1912.

Patented June 10, 1913.

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GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 11.9, 1912.

1,064,601 Patented June 10, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. BODKER AND WILLIAM H. BODKER, OF PONCHATOULA, LOUISIANA.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10,1913.

Application filed April 9, 1912. Serial No. 689,490.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALBERT J. BODKER and WILLIAM H. BODKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Ponchatoula, in the parish of Tangipahoa and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to collapsible crates adapted when set up to be used for containing articles of commerce as, for in stance, bread, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide a crate which may be easily and readily collapsed and the parts thereof effectually secured when being returned, or should it be desired to retain the crate in limited space.

With these objects in view, the crate consists of side, top, bottom and end panels, all of which may be swung down into closed relation with respect to each other, and securing devices which will hold the parts in collapsed position and which may also be used to hold the parts in set-up position.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crate in set-up position; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crate with parts in collapsed position; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The crate includes a bottom panel 1 to the ends of which are hingedly attached end panels 2. The bottom panel is provided with a cleat 17 at one end to which one of the end panels 2 is hinged, so that when the end panels are folded inwardly they lie directly upon each other as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The bottom panel 1 has attached to its corner portions plates 3, and each of these plates is provided with a slot 1 which is disposed with its long dimension approximately parallel with the plane of the bottom panel 1 and spaced above the same. The plates 3 at the back of the crate are somewhat longer vertically than the plates 3 at the forward portion of the crate so that the slots of the back plates are spaced a greater distance from the bottom than the front plates to permit the back panel to fold over the front panel when the parts are arranged as in Fig. 3. Front and back side panels 5 and 6 are provided at their ends with pins 7 and 8, respectively, which extend through the slots 4 of the forward and back plates Hooks 9 are pivoted upon the ends of the forward and back panels 5 and 6 and are adapted to engage pins 10 mounted upon the end panels 2 to lock the crate in open position. A top panel 11 is hingedly connected with the back panel 6 and is provided with the pivoted hasp 12 adapted when the crate is in set-up position to engage a keeper 13 upon the front panel 5. The front panel 5 is provided at the corners at its upper edge with angular metallic strips 14., which eX tend above the panel and are adapted to receive between them the free end portions of the corners of the top panel 11, and the end panels 2 are provided at their upper edges with metallic strips 15 which project above the outer edges of the end panels and are adapted to receive between them the end edges of the top panel 11. The back panel 6 is provided at its lower edge with a staple 16 which is adapted to be engaged by the hasp 12 when the parts are in knock-down position, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

When the parts of the crate are in set-up position and the crate is closed, they appear as illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the end portions 2 are disposed approximately at a right angle to the bottom panel 1 and fit closely between the front and back panels 5 and 6, the said front and back panels being held in close relation to the end panels by means of the hooks 9 which engage the pins 10 upon the said end panels. The edges of the top panel 11 rest down upon the upper edges of the end and front panels and are received between the plates 14 and 15, and the hasp 12 engages the staple 13. At this time the pins 7 and 8 upon the front and back panels are at the outer ends of the slots 4 of the plates 3 with the lower edges of the front and back panels bearing upon the front and back portions of the bottom panel.

\Vhen it is intended to collapse the crate for return or other purposes, the top panel 11 is swung back over the back panel 6, the hooks 9 are disengaged from the pins 10, and the end panels 2 are swung down upon the bottom panel 1. When in this position the end panels 2 overlap each other as indicated in Fig. 3. The front panel 5 is then swung down over the overlapped end panels and the back panel 6 with the folded top panel 11 are swung down over the front panel 5. The panels 5 and 6 are then moved 1n an edge-wise direction so that the pins 7 and 8 come in contact with the inner ends of the slots 4, and this brings the edges of all of the panels approximately into vertical alinement, and, therefore, when the parts of the crate are in knocked-down positions there are no edge portions projecting beyond the general perimeter of the structure.

While the crate as illustrated is especially adapted to be used for the transportation of bread, it is to be understood that. the same structure may be employed for containing other articles, as, for instance, chickens and the like.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A crate comprising a bottom panel, plates arranged in pairs and attached to the corner portions of the bottom panel and extending above the same, each plate having a slot extending parallel to the plane of the bottom panel and spaced above the same, a front panel having pins extending respectively through the slots of one pair of said plates, a rear panel having pins extending through the slots of the other pair of said plates, end panels hingedly connected to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly and bearing between the front and back panels and against the plates when in open position, corner plates connected to the front panel and extending above the same, bearing plates connected to the end panels and extending above the same, and a top panel hingedly connected to the back panel and bearing upon the upper edges of the front and back panels and the end panels and be hind the corner plates and the bearing plates.

2. A crate comprising a bottom panel, a front panel movably connected to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, a back panel movably coupled to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, corner members connected to the free ends of the front panel and extending above the same, end panels movably connected to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, guard plates connected to the free edges of the end panels and extending above the same, and a top movably coupled to the rear panel and bearing upon the upper edges of the front and end panels and against the inner faces of the corner members and of the plates of the end members.

3. A crate comprising a bottom panel, a front panel movably connected to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, a back panel movably coupled to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, corner members connected to the free ends of the front panel and extending above the same, end panels movably connected to the bottom panel and foldable inwardly, guard plates connected to the free edges of the end panels and ex tending above the same, a top movably coupled to the rear panel and bearing upon the upper edges of the front and end panels and against the inner faces of the corner members and of the plates of the end members, pins projecting from the end panels, hooks connected to the front panel. and to the back panel and engaging over the pins when the panels are in open position, and means for fastening the free edge of the top to the front panel.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT J. BODKER. WILLIAM H. BODKER.

Copies of this patent may le obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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