US1154764A - Parcel-post mailing-case. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

J U DU 0 Z SHEETS-SHEET W. H. HAMMOND.

PARCEL POST MAILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1914.

W. H. HAMMOND.

PARCEL POST MAILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. ts. 1914.

1,154,764. Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 awe/whoa WHHRMMOND boxes but below and above them.

WILLIAM 'H. HAMMOND, or CLIFFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PARCEL-POST MAILING-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

Application filed November 18, 1914. Serial No. 872,838.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. HAM- MOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clifford, in the county'of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have'invented cer' tain new and useful Improvements in Parcel-Post Mailing-Cases, of which the-following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to mailing tubes or cases and particularly to mailing cases adapted for the transportation of relatively small articles such as eggs, fruit, etc. and adapted to be sent by parcel post.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mailing case so constructed that it will be particularly durable and capable of withstanding the shocks to which it is likely to be subjected in being transported from one part of the country to the other.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide in connection with a mailing case a plurality of nest boxes, as they may be termed, designed to be inserted within the case and held securely therein, each of these nest boxes or sections being divided into'compartments for the reception of eggs, fruit, or like articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a dead air space may be provided not only around the several nest Still a further object of the invention is to improve the details of construction of the nestboxes so as to permit them to be readily manufactured and yet prevent their getting out of shape or becoming disformed or broken.

Still another object of the invention is the provision, in connection with each compartment of a, nest box, of a case or protector designed to hold and protect an object such as an egg, plum, peach, etc.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein' Figure l is a longitudinal section of the mailing case and the nest box therein; Fig.

- 2 is an elevation of the mailing case partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cover; Fig. 4- is a plan view of one of the nest boxes and Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail sections on the line 66, 7-7, and 88 respectively; Fig. 9

is an elevation partly broken away of the tubular shield; Fig. 10 is a view of one of the spacing members.

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates the mailing case which is cylindrical in form and closed at its bottom by a wall 3.

Preferably the side wall of the case is formed of two thicknesses a and b of material, such as cardboard. Surrounding the inner thickness d, is a helix of wire 0, and disposed between the two layers, is an intermediate layer of fabric (Z, which is glued to the layers a and I), and holds the three layers firmly together. The top of the mailing case is reinforced by a band 4: which is glued or otherwise attached to the wall of the case at its top edge. This band 4. not only provides for a thickening of the top edge of the case to thereby provide for a firm bearing of the cover 3 thereon, but likewise assists in holding the cover fasteners in place. These cover fasteners consist each of a narrow strip of pliable metal, this strip being designated 6, one end of which is inserted through a slot formed in the annular reinforcing member, the inserted end being turned upward as at 7. The free end of the strip (3 extends outward and when the cover is fastened in place this strip is turned over upon the cover. Preferably the extremity of the strip is bent upon itself so as to form a hook. The cover 8 may be slotted at a plu rality of points as at 9 and the rebent ends of the strips may be inserted in these slots so as to hold the cover securely in place. The cover may be additionally secured in place by means of tabs 10 glued or otherwise attached to the'cover, the free ends of these tabs when the cover is in place being pasted, glued, or sealed to the body of the mailing case. Preferably the bottom of the mailing case, when it is desired to be used for very heavy objects, is reinforced by cross strips 11, the extremities of which are carried upon and riveted, glued, or otherwise attached to the body of the mailing case adjacent the bottom.

The case as heretofore described, is adapted to be used for mailing relatively large articles, but in order to adapt the case to be used for articles such as eggs, fruit, and the like, I provide nest boxes, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 5, these boxes being adapted to be set in the mailing case and to support in the compartments of the box such articles as eggs, fruit, etc. 'Each nest box comprises a bottom designated 12, and a circular side wall designated 13, this side wall being formed of a strip of cardboard tions of the strip of cardboard forming the wall 13. are each slotted at two points as at 16, and the tongue or strip 15 is passed throughthese slots in the manner illustrated in Fig. thus holding the overlapped ends in secure engagement. For the purpose of connecting the bottom of thenest box to the wall 13, I provide a pluralityv of fasteners,

each consisting of a strip of metal designated 17, one end of which is passed through a slot in the wall 13 and then bent clownward asatlS, the other end being extended down through a slot formed in the bottom 12 and then bent outward as at 19, thus clamping the bottom of the box securely to the side Wall thereof and holding it securely in position. These strips 17 not onlyact to hold the body to the bottom 12 but also act to space the body 13 from the periphery of the bottom 12, it being understood that the bottom is larger in diameter than the diameter of the body 13.

The nest box is divided into a plurality of compartments 20, by means of transversely extending strips 21 of pasteboard or like material, these strips being slotted transverse to their length so that they may be disposed in cruciform relation in a manner well known in the art. The strips 21 forming the box are held in engagement with the wall 13 by means of clips 22 each formed of a metal strip, the-inner end' of which is bent and passed through a vertical slot in the strip 21 adjacent its end, the other end i of the strip being extended through a slot in the wall, 13. These oppo site ends are then bent down against the respective walls as shown clearly in Fig. 7, thus holding the strips 21 securely in place and preventing any rotation of the strips within the nest box. These boxes are de signed to be disposed one on topof the other, the base of one box forming the top of the box below. Itis desirable where eggs and fruit. are carried that a dead air space be left, not only around the nest box but below and above it, thus not only cushioning the eggs against jar or shock but also keeping the temperature of the interior of the box practically uniform. To this end, I dispose in: the bottom of the mailing case 2, a false bottom which in Fig. 1 is shown as being formed, of a disk 23 of pasteboard or like materiahthe marginal edges of which are turned downward as at 24:. This disk may be glued,'riveted, or otherwise attached to the bottom of the box or may be simply in: serted and rest upon the bottom, thus a dead air space 25 is formedbetween the real'bottom of the box and this false bottom. One

of the nest boxes rests directly upon this false bottom 23. If it is desired to space these boxes from each other, a spacing memf ber such as indicated in Fig. 10 may be used, this spacing member consisting of a disk 26 provided with an upstanding ring 27. \Vhen this spacing member is used, the disk 26' rests upon the top of one of the nest boxes and every adjacent nest box rests upon the top of the ringg27. Where this'spacmg member is not used however, the onef nestv box simply fits down and rests upon the nest member such as that shown in Fig. 10 may be inserted and rest upon the uppermost nest box, so as to space the cover ,5 from the adjacent nest box and prevent any longitudinal movement of the nest boxes within the mailingcas'e. s For the purpose of securely holding the fragile articles within the compartments 20 of the nest box, I provide the structure shown in F ig; 9, this consisting of a cylindrical or tubular shield within which the egg is adapted to be placed, the shield being longer than the egg, this. shield having an exterior diameterof such size that the shield will fitsecurely within one of the compart ments 20 and hearing at a plurality of points against the walls of the compartments. Preferably'the shield is formed of twothicknesses or layers 28 and 29 of paste board with an intermediate layer of textile fabric, designated. 30, the inner tube or layer 28 being encircled by a helical coil or wire 31, this being held in place in any suitable manner as by gluing the fabric 30, after the wire is inplace, to the inner tube orrlaye'r 28. The outer tube or layer is then placed on and theglue will holdthe three layers firmly together. This constructionprovides a very strong rigid tubular shield not liable to deformation and which will entirely protect an egg or afruit carried in. it. v

The practical use of my invention will of course be understood from what has gone before. V t I x It will be seen that the mailing case2 is very strong, that it is braced at its lower end bythe bottom 3, and at'its upper end by the reinforcing ring hand by theiengagement of this ring with the cover 5 through the medium of'theclips or strips 6. When the several nest boxes are in place within the case, dead air space is provided around the box and also the bottom and top of the mailing case itself, and if desired, air spaces may be disposed between the several nest boxes. The nest boxes are so constructed as to resist deformation and breakage and handling, and to firmly support any object which may be placed therein.

My mailing case and the nest boxes used therewith is capable of being used for a large variety of different purposes in connection with postal service.

lVhile I have illustrated the details of construction which go to make the box particularly strong and useful, I do not wish to be limited to these details as it is obvious that many changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A nest box for mailing cases, comprising a bottom and .a side Wall, and clips holding the side wall to the bottom, each of said clips at one end being inwardly bent and extending through a slot in the side wall and then being bent doWn upon the inside face of the side Wall, the other extremity of the clip passing down through the bottom and then being bent outward and engaged against the under face of the bottom.

2. In a device of the character described, adjacent sheets of material extending at right angles to each other, and pliable clips holding said sheets in engagement, each clip having one end inserted through a slot in one of said sheets and bent down against the face of the sheet, the other end of the clip extending through the other sheet and having its extremity bent against the face of said last named sheet.

3. A nest box for mailing cases compris ing a bottom, a side wall, and transversely extending strips dividing the interior of the case into compartments, clips holding the side wall to the bottom, clips holding the overlapping ends of the side wall together, and clips holding the ends of the transverse walls into engagement with the side wall.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

lVILLIAH H. HAMMOND.

lVitnesses HELEN E. KINGMAN, GEORGE l/V. S'rnTsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

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