US1082676A - Foldable crate. - Google Patents

Description

E. T. BOND.

POLDABLE CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 19, 1910.

Patefited Dec. 30,1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0,, WASHINGTON. D. c.

EDGAR T. BOND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDABLE CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 36), 1913.

Original application filed September 10, 1909, Serial No. 517,011. Divided and this application filed October 19, 1910. Serial No. 587,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR T. BOND, a cit Zen of the United States, residing at Chlcago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F oldable Crates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, the same being a division of application Serial No. 517,011, filed September 10, 1909, by me.

This invention relates to foldable crates or receptacles designed more especially for transportation and storage purposes, but which are adapted for use and can be used for other purposes.

The objects of the invention are: to construct a crate or receptacle that will be light and easily handled, and at the same time will be strong and durable in use; to enable the crate or receptacle to be unfolded or set up for use without trouble or inconvenience, and to be quickly and readily folded together so as to occupy but a small space as compared with its unfolded or set-up condition; to form the sides and top of the crate or receptacle of strands or bars made of wire or strips of metal or other material of suflicient rigidity to furnish the necessary strength for the crate or receptacle when unfolded or set up; to form two opposite sides of the crate or receptacle of foldable bars having the pivots located adjacent to the bottom of the crate and forming the other two opposite sides of foldable bars having the pivots located in a higher plane than the pivots of the other foldable bars; to furnish a slidable top which can be raised and lowered on the foldable bars of the body of the crate so as to occupy a raised position and to occupy a position below the folding point of the bars when the crate is in its folded position; to furnish a lock for maintaining the bars in a vertical position when the crate is raised or unfolded; and to improve generally the construction, arrangement and operation of the several parts entering into the formation of the crate or receptacle as a whole.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation showing the crate orreceptacle in its unfolded or raised position; Fig. 2, aside elevation, partly in section, showing the crate or receptacle in its folded position; Fig. 3, a detail, being a top or plan view of the top or cover of the crate or receptacle.

In the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts.

The crate or receptacle shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has end or side strips 1, attached to which is a bottom 2, and these parts may be made of wood or other suitable material. A series of studs or short post-s 3 is located on each end or side strip 1, and, as shown, each stud or post 3 is entered into a hole in the strip or rail 1 and held in place by a cross pin or wire a, or in any other suitable manner. Each stud or post 3 has a tenon or tongue 5, through which passes a pivot 6 with the tenon or tongue 5 entered into the slotted end 7 of a post or rod 8, a post or rod being provided for each stud or post 3, and the stud or post 3 and the bar or rod 8 constitute, when elevated, two sides or ends of the crate or receptacle. The two opposite sides of the crate or receptacle are each formed of a series of studs or short posts 9, each entered into a hole in the bottom 2 and secured in place by a pin or wire 10, or in any other suitable manner. Each stud or post 9 has a tongue 11, through which passes a pivot 12, with the tongue 11 entered into the slotted end 13 of a post 1 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The pivots 12 for the posts or bars 14: are in a higher plane than the pivots 6 for the posts or bars 8, so that the posts or bars 8 can be folded downwardly and inwardly, after which the bars or posts 1 1 can be folded downwardly and inwardly over the folded bars or posts 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Two sides or ends of the top or cover each consist of a strip or rail 15, and each strip or rail has a series of holes 16 for the passage of the rods or bars 8 in the raising and lowering of the top or cover. The remaining two sides of the top or cover are each formed of a strip or rail 18, having a series of holes 17 for the passage of the rods or bars 14 in raising and lowering the cover. As shown in Fig. 1, the cover is held in its elevated position by means of cross pins 19 passing through two or more of the posts or bars. The cover, in the construction shown in Fig. 3, is completed by a netting 20, but can be otherwise formed, and, if desired, can be a solid body.

The construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the four sides are formed of inwardly foldable bars or strands, can have the opposite posts 9 set out of line, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit a closer folding together of the crate or receptacle.

The construction of crate or receptacle of the present invention is one which enables or allows the top or cover to be raised or lowered on the bars or posts forming the sides of the crate or receptacle, so as to assume an upper plane as shown in Fig. 1 or be dropped to a lower plane as shown in Fig. 2, and when elevated or in the upper plane the cover can be held in position by means of the cross pins or keys 19, as shown in Fig. 1, or by other suitable means.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

The crate or receptacle is brought into a folded condition by removing the pins or keys 19 and allowing the top or cover to slide down on the rods or bars until it reaches a plane below the pivotal point 6 of the rods or bars 8, after which the rods or bars 8 can be folded inwardly and downwardly on top of the cover, and then the remaining bars 14 can be folded down over the folded bars 8, bringing the parts into the position shown in Fig. 2, with the crate folded.

The advantages pertaining to the crate or receptacle of the present invention are apparent, and need not be described in detail. Suffice it to say that the crate can be readily and quickly unfolded and folded, is very strong and durable and, at the same time, light and easily handled, and when folded can be stored away and occupy but a small space in a room or other storing place.

It is not the intention to limit, restrict, restrain or confine the parts entering into the construction of the present invention for sole use in foldable crates, and under the word crate is included coops for chickens, crates for the transportation of berries, vegetables or other commodities, receptacles, carrying cases for eggs, folding boxes, cases or crates for the delivery of packages or bundles commonly put up in grocery stores, meat markets and other retail stores, and other articles in any general merchandise line of business, and for commercial use in the delivery of packages to customers, patrons and consumers.

The gist of the present invention is in constructing the crate or receptacle with all of its sides formed of rods or bars inwardly and downwardly foldable, and employing a drop cover carried by the rods or bars, which cover can be dropped below the folding plane of the rods or bars and can be raised to its elevated position and there locked and held; so that when the cover is elevated and locked a crate will be furnished which is strong, light and durable and which can be folded into a compact shape when not in use.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a foldable crate, the combination of a bottom, a top, four corner posts, one for each corner of the crate, each corner post pivotally mounted at its lower end adjacent to the bottom of the crate to fold downwardly and inwardly and to be raised into a vertical position, a plurality of bars on two opposite sides of the crate arranged in line with the corner posts, each bar separately and individually pivoted and donwwardly and inwardly foldable from its pivotal point in the plane of the pivots of the corner posts and when folded lying parallel with and in the plane of the folded corner posts and to be raised into a vertical position with the corner posts, and a plurality of bars on two opposite sides of the crate, arranged in line with the corner posts, each bar separately and individually pivoted and downwardly and inwardly foldable from its pivotal point located in a higher plane than the pivots of the corner posts, and when folded overlying the folded corner posts and the folded bars of the other two sides of the crate, and to be raised into a vertical position with the corner posts, substantially as described.

2. In a foldable crate, the combination of a bottom, four corner posts, one for each corner of the crate, each corner postpivotally mounted at its lower end adjacent to the bottom of the crate to fold downwardly and inwardly and to be raised into a vertical position, a plurality of bars on two opposite sides of the crate arranged in line with the corner posts, each bar downwardly and inwardly foldable from a pivotal point in the plane of the pivots of the corner posts and when folded lying parallel with and in the plane of the folded corner posts and to be raised into a vertical position with the corner posts, a plurality of bars on two opposite sides of the crate, arranged in line with the corner posts, each bar downwardly and inwardly foldable from a pivotal point located in a higher plane than the pivots of the corner posts and when folded overlying the folded corner posts and the folded bars of the other two sides of the crate and to be raised into a vertical position with the corner posts, a top vertically slidable on the corner posts and bars of the sides, and means for holding the top in its elevated position, the top when elevated maintaining the sides of the crate vertical, substantially as described.

3. In a foldable crate, the combination of four foldable sides, each side consisting of a plurality of separated bars, each bar pivotally mounted at its lower end to fold downwardly and inwardly and adapted to be raised into a vertical position, the pivots for two opposite sides located in a higher plane than the pivots of the other two opposite sides, for two of the sides when folded to overlie the other two sides when folded, a bottom having the foldable sides pivot-ally mounted thereon, a top vertically slidable on the bars when standing upright, and means for holding the top in its elevated position, the top when elevated maintaining the sides of the crate vertical, substantially as described.

4. In a foldable crate, the combination of four foldable sides, each side consisting of a plurality of separated bars, each bar pivotally mounted at its lower end to fold downwardly and inwardly and adapted to be raised into a vertical position, the pivots for two opposite sides located in a higher plane than the pivots of the other two opposite sides, for two of the sides when folded to overlie the other two sides when folded, a bottom having the foldable sides pivotally mounted thereon, a top vertically slidable on the bars when standing upright, and locking pins passing through the upper ends of the corner bars for holding the top in its elevated position and maintaining the sides of the crate vertical, substantially as described.

5. In a foldable crate, the combination of four foldable sides, each side consisting of a plurality of separated bars, each bar pivotally mounted at its lower end to fold downwardly and inwardly and adapted to be raised into a vertical position, the pivots of two opposite sides located in a higher plane than the pivots of the other two opposite sides, for two of the sides when folded to overlie the other two sides when folded, a bottom having the foldable sides pivotally mounted thereon, a slidable rail for each set of foldable bars, the rails having openings for the bars and vertically slidable on the bars when standing upright, a top carried by the rails, and means for locking the rails with the bars when elevated and holding the top in its raised position, substantially as described.

6. In a foldable crate, the combination of four foldable sides, each side consisting of a plurality of separated bars, each bar pivotally mounted at its lower end to fold downwardly and inwardly and adapted to be raised into a vertical position, a bottom having the foldable side bars pivotally mounted thereon for two opposite sides to fold down in a higher plane that the other two opposite sides, and a top vertically slidable on the bars when standing upright, substantially as described.

EDGAR T. BOND.

Witnesses:

A. L. PARsoNs, D. T. PARSONS.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

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