US1089586A - Container. - Google Patents

Description

B. O. ROGKWELL.

CONTAINER.

APPLICATION TILED FEB.3,1913.

Patented Mar. 10,1914

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Witnesses B. G. ROCKWELL.

CONTAINER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. a, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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Inventor Witnesses Attorneys BYRD G. ROCKWELL, OF CAMDEN, ARKANSAS.

CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 3, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914. Serial No. 746,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Brno C. RooKwnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Ouachita and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Container, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible c011- tainers such as shipping boxes, egg crates and the like, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a cheap but eflicient substitute for the ordinary container formed of slats.

The usual form of egg case or other like container made of slats has each side and end formed of six pieces thus totaling twenty four pieces in the formation of the two sides and ends of the container. This has, obviously resulted in an undesirable expense due to the labor necessary in assembling the parts.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a container, each side and end of which is formed in a single piece, said piece being shaped to form slat-like extensions at its ends and a solid intermediate portion on which suitable advertising matter and the like can be placed.

A further object is to provide improved means for connecting the sides and ends of the container whereby the container can be collapsed readily and will not break open at the joints or split under the ordinary strains to which the container is subjected by the contents thereof, while being handled.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of a container embodying the present improvements, the top and bottom thereof being removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a portion of. the container. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line A-B Fig. 2. Fig.4 is an inner elevation of one of the panels of the container. Fig. 5 is a similar view of another panel of the contamer. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through one end portion of one of the slats and showmg thehinge wire seated in the kerf therein.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference C and D designate the side panels of the container and E and F designate the end panels. Each panel C and D is formed in a single piece of stock length and having parallel slots 1 extending therein from its ends to form spaced tongues or slats all of which are integral with the central closed port-ion 2 of the panel. The said central portion is preferably channeled in its inner face, as shown at 3, the said channels alining with the spaces between the tongues or slats 1- so that ribs 5 are thus produced upon the inner surface of the central portion 2 and aline with the inner portions of the tongues 4. As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 4c, the upper and lower tongues are thicker than the other tongues of the panel, this construction having been found desirable in View of the fact that the upper and lower portions of the panel receive the means employed for attaching the top and bottom panels of the container.

Formed within all of the tongues of the panel C are obliquely disposed kerfs 6, these kerfs being located in the inner sides of the tongues and close to the free ends thereof, the said kerfs diverging outwardly from the ends of the tongues, as will be apparent by referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2. All of the kerfs in each end of the panel can be produced in one operation by means of a saw provided for that purpose or by means of any other suitable tool. These kerfs are of such width as to receive readily a hinge wire such as will be described hereinafter.

It is to be understood that the panel D is an exact duplicate of the panel C and is to be disposed opposite thereto, both of said panels being arranged with the smooth faces of the intermediate portion 2 arranged outwardly, The panels E and F are duplicates of each other and each formed in a single piece of board cut to proper length and provided, in its ends, with parallel slots 7 extending up to a solid intermediate portion 8. Parallel tongues 9 are formed between the slots 7 and grooves 10 are formed in the inner face of the solid portion 8 and aline with the slots 7, there being ribs 11 thus formed between the grooves and which aline cut the proper formed entirely of separate slats.

with the tongues 9. Each tongue 9 is proj vided, in its inner side, with a diagonally disposed kerf 12 located adjacent the free end of the tongue, said kerf diverging outwardly from the end of the tongue. The tongues 4c and 9 are so proportioned relative to each other and to the slots 1 and 7 that, when the four panels C, D, E and F are assembled, the tongues 9 will fit snugly within the slots 1 and the tongues a will fit snugly within the slots 7 while the kerfs in the tongues will extend between the kerfs 12 in tongues 9, the two sets of kerfs extending practically in opposite directions and only the inner end portions thereof registering. These registering portions of the kerfs receive hinge wires 13 which extend throughout the height of the crate or container and are retained within the kerfs by nails 17 or the like extending transversely within the tongues and across the kerfs so as thus to hold the wires within the kerfs and at the same time strengthen the tongues at the points where the kerfs are formed.

In order that the hinge wires may be retained in position, slats 15 are arranged above and below the panels E and F and bear, at their ends, upon the upper and lower edges of the panels G and D. These slats 15 are provided, in their ends, with diagonally disposed kerfs 16 into which the ends of the wires 13 project, said ends being bent partly around nails 17 or the like which extend across the kerfs and being extended thence longitudinally within the kerfs and finally bent outwardly at their terminals, as shown at 18. Vith the ends of the hinge wires thus arranged within the kerfs 16, it will be seen that the slats 15 will be held in position upon the panels 0 and D and, at the same time, the wires will be held against longitudinal displacement within the various kerfs in which they are seated.

, After the wires have been seated within the various kerfs and secured in the manner described, the container can be collapsed or set up, as desired and will be found to be light, durable and compact and as elficient, if not more so, than the ordinary containers Heretofore it has been customary to bore the slats in order to receive the hinge wires and this has, obviously, been laborious practice ascompared with the quick and accurate formation of the kerfs which are utilized in the present instance. In producing the container herein described, the hinge wire is seated by one operation of a nailing machine, the nails serving to prevent splitting of the ends of the slats, this splitting being a serious objection to slats such as heretofore employed. As the kerf embodied in the present structure is disposed at an angle, its formation does not tend to split the stock. 7 Furthermore the nail as wellas the wood adjacent the kerf receives the strain exerted by the contents of the container.

While a particular form of hinge connection has been shown and described combined with panels formed in one piece, it is to be understood that this hinge connection can also be used where separate slats are employed in the construction of the sides and ends of the container.

What is claimed is 1. A container consisting of side and end panels each formed in a single piece of stock having parallel elongated slots extending into the ends thereof and forming spaced tongues, the tongues of each panel being extended between and pivotally connected to the tongues of the next adjoining panels, there being ventilating openings formed by the slots between the inserted tongues and the inner ends of the slots.

2. A container consisting of side and end panels each formed in a single piece of stock having parallel elongated slots extending into the ends thereof and forming spaced tongues, the tongues of each panel being ex- J tended between and pivotally connected to the tongues of the next adjoining panels, each panel having a solid intermediate portion, there being ventilating openings formed by the slots between the inserted tongues and the inner ends of the slots.

3. A container consisting of side and end panels each formed in a single piece of stock having parallel slots extending into the ends thereof and forming spaced tongues, the

tongues of each panel being extended between and pivotally connected to the tongues of the next adjoining panels, each panel having a solid intermediate portion, said solid portion being provided, in its inner face, with grooves registering with the spaces between the tongues and with beads alining with said tongues. r j

a. In a container, a panel formed in a single piece of stock and including a solid intermediate portion and parallel elongated similar tongues extendin in opposite directions from said portion, the length of each tongue being greater than the thickness thereof. I

5. A container including interfitting wall members each having a series of spaced similar tongues, the tongues of each series having diagonally disposed kerfs extending thereinto, the inner ends of all the kerfs alining in the crossed portions of the interfitting members, and a hinge device extending through the alining portions of the kerfs.

6. A container including interfitting wall members each having a series of spaced similar tongues, the tongues of "each series having diagonally disposed kerfs extending alining in the crossed portions of the interfitting members, and a hinge device extending through the alining portions of the kerfs, means extending transversely of the kerfs for retaining said device Within the kerfs.

7. A container including walls having tongues, the tongues of each Wall being extended between the tongues of the adjoining Walls, the said tongues being formed With kerfs, the inner ends of the kerfs being disposed in alinement, hinge elements extending through the alining portions of the ke-rfs and having their ends seated in certain of the kerfs, and means engaging the end portions of said elements for holding them against longitudinal displacement.

8. A container including Walls having tongues, the tongues of each Wall being extended between the tongues of the adjoining Walls, the said tongues being formed with kerfs, the inner ends of the kerfs being disposed in alinement, hinge elements extending through the alining portions of the kerfs and having ofiiset end portions seated in certain of the keris, means engaging the end portions of said elements for holding them against longitudinal displacement, and means extending transversely across the kerfs for maintaining said elements against lateral displacement from the kerfs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BYRD O. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses:

J. T. SIrroRn, THOS. I. THORNTON.

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

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