US1169100A - Collapsible crate for caskets. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. WUNDERLICH.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE FOR GASKETS.

APPLICATION FILED 0121121. 1914.

1,169,100. Patented 32111.18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IHIIIHIIHI wwmwfiygw/a 27%;; JAM/W Gav/wage THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, D c.

J. H WUNDERLICH.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE FOR GASKETS.

APPLICATION man 00121. 1914.

1,169,100. I Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0" WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB H. WUNDERLICH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CASKET COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE FOR GASKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB H. \VUNDER- LICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Crates for Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction of collapsible crate and has particular reference to a crate in which caskets or coflins may be packed for shipment and transportation.

Manufacturers of caskets having numerous sales and supply branches located at cities distant from the factory have experi enced considerable annoyance and expense in shipping caskets from the factory to the sales and supply branches. It has been the custom to pack each casket in a wood box of sufiicient size to entirely inclose it, and these boxes after reaching their destination, are opened, and the caskets removed, and the empty inclosing boxes stored or piled one upon another awaiting their return, in an empty condition, to the factory. The large size of these empty boxes cause considerable annoyance in the storage space required and the size and weight are the source of considerable expense to effect their return shipment as empties.

The present invention therefore has for its object to provide an improved construction of collapsible crate, particularly designed for the shipment of caskets, which shall be of less weight than a complete shipping box; that will be rigidly braced and held while in extended or'in a collapsed condition; that will afiiord ample protection to the casket against dust, dirt and moisture and which, when empty, may be collapsed so as to occupy a minimum space during storage or shipment as empties.

With these .and other objects in View, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1, shows the improved crate extended and in side elevation. Fig. 2, illustrates one end of the cover in top plan. Fig. 3, shows an end of the cover in bottom or inverted plan. Fig. 4, illustrates the extended crate in vertical longitudinal section, the section being taken on the line of Fig. '5. Fig. 5, shows the 1ended icmtean and 5;,-

vertical cross-sectional detail through the crate at one end,the section being taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7, shows the crate in side elevation and in a collapsed condition. Fig. 8, illustrates the same in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 9, shows an enlarged detail of a fragment of the cover and side of the collapsed crate partly in side elevation and partly in section, and ig. 10, illustrates an enlarged fragmentary detail of one of the brace blocks and brace bars on theinterior of the crate.

The crate comprises a bottom section 11, a top section 12; a flexible wall 18, connected to the top section andextending into the bottom section and a cover 14 normally resting on the top section.

The bottom section is preferably made in askeleton form, for the purpose of reducing weight, and in the present instance consists of two longitudinal bars 15, which are rigidly connected by a plurality of spacedapart cross-bars 16 and extend from one end of the crate to the opposite end. These cross-bars have their ends resting on top of the longitudinal bars so that the lower sides or surfaces of the cross-bars will have position in a plane above the bottom surface of the longitudinal bars, thereby enabling said longitudinal bars to serve as a skid on which the crate may rest and be pushed endwise along a floor or over the sill of a car door or onto a truck or wagon Without damage to the cross-bars.

A rectangular frame is rigidly attached to and extends vertically above the cross-bars and said frame has two edge-wise placed side bars 17, and two edge-wise placed end-bars 18, that connect the side bars.

It will thus be understood that the bottomsection includes the rectangular frame; the cross-bars and the longitudinal skid bars, all rigidly connected together. The top section 12, is the part that is free to be moved upward or downward relative to the stationary bottom section 11. The top section of the crate also has the form of a rectangular frame in that it has two vertical edge-wise side bars 19, that are rigidly connected at laiiglih a, brace block 23, at'eachiend thereof and inside of the bottom'section and rest uponthe cross-bars 16, when the crate is in the 4 edge.- When in thevertical sustaining posi tion, as shown in Fig. 1,the-notches 28, ofa the standardbars 'eachengagea headed member 30, that is carried on the side b'ar19,

notches and headed; members will 'toni'section."

A wall of fiexible'ma'terial 13,*ha's -its upper'edge secured around the inside of the top section and'extends down into the bot tomv section :and isspread horizontally over the cross-'bars'16, so as -t-oform a bottomcow fit down and {rest uponzgthe bottoiii fsectiori,

when in a'collap's'ed'condition andbe flush ering as well as a flexible; vertical side-wall which latter is secured to the inside ofr the 4 and 8, of the drawings. a

Each side bar 19, of the top section has on its inner side, and each brace block is provided withan end notch24. When the top section-12, of the crate is raised with respect to' the bottom section, the freeends of the brace bars r ',21,-may be swungwupwardly and seated in thenotches'24 of the brace blocks, as clearly shown in Figs-4 and 10, of the drawings, so that said brace bars will not only aid in sustaining the top} section injan elevated position, butwill also brace said top section against-lateral, or

lengthwise movements with respect to the 1 bottom section.-

The length of-the bracebars is such that they [may be swung down collapsedcondition," as shown in Fig. 8, of

the drawings. The'lower section 11, of the crate also carries fourstandard bars 25,-- one at each corner of the crate. -The'se bars each have one endpivoted at 26, tothe outer side-of' a side bar: 17 ,-'-the' pivot pointsbeing adjacent the endsofsaid'side bars,- so that the free ends'27, of the standard barsv '-may be swung up at the outer sideof the sidebars -19, of the top frame. Eachfstand ard bar 25,- in the present instance has a notch 28, at one vertical side edge and also has a notch 29, atthe other vertical side but when the crate sections arev collapsed I; and P925, re: lowered, each'enotch*29a will engage a heade'd' member 31, i th t are I alsocarried on the'si'de bar 19, of 'thetop section frame, as shown in; Figs: and 9,

of the drawings. -"The 'purpo'se-jof these be "explained.

the bottom section has a plurality rof vertically projectin'gpins 32, extending upwardly on the inside and also outside with saidbo'tfrom its'upper edgeand'that bar 19, of the top sectionis p'rovidedwithrecesses. or

sockets 39sec Fig;-1, whichreceive the'pins -ba1-,'= it'being desirable to have pinson one bar-.toengagerecesses on the other bar to lock the two frames together against lateral movement when said fram es -are collaps'ed,

as-in Fig. 7 .'.:,The cover l4= which rests on the'topsection 12, of the crate also has two side bars 33, two end bars 34, that connect cross bars. 35, that also connect the sidebars and whose uppersurfaces are flush with the.

upper edges of the sidebars and two spaced longitudinal bars 36, that extend lengthwise and directly beneath the cross-bars. Thesev longitudinal bars 36, have position in a hori-v zontal plane above the lower, edges'ofthe'. side and end bars of the cover, so that when the cover-is seated "ontop ofthe movable seats'on thetopsection the upper freev ends 27, of the standard bars 25, will project into said notches-37, and be locked against dis- .engagement from the headed members 30.

It will thus be seen that 'when the top section "of the. cratecis elevated, the brace bars 21-, by engaging the' notches 24, in the blocks 23, both of whichare onthe interior,v will lock the-- two sections against lateral and underside of the cover to engage the inner .1 15

side ofthe-top frame andthereby aid in holding the cover rigidlyin place. By referring to Figs,- 3 and 9 of the.

drawings it will be notedthat the sidebars '33',-of,the cover are also provided at their 120 inner surface with inclined 1 notches 40, which latter, when the'crate is collapsed receive the free ends of the standard bars 25, as ishown in Fig. 9,1andthereby: hold the notches 29, of saidtwo bars in engagement 123 with the headed members" 31. I Thus the standard bars 25, secure the top and bottom seetions-together.- A flexible covering 41,:is provided on the coverat the under side'of cross bais 35g to keep out-dust and=moisture 1 0 70 32, whenthe two sections arefcollapsed.

the side bars; a plurality of spaced-apart crate sectionithese bars 36,'will rest upon' 3:

longitudinal displacementwhile the stand-j -51 ard bars'25, on the exterior will serve mainly tosustain the-weight of the. top section and a When the crate is in use suitable bolts 42, serve to hold the cover on the movable section.

From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that to collapse the crate. presuming it to be in the extended condition shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the cover section 14, will be removed so as to disengage the bars 25, and also to permit access to the brace bars 21, on the interior. The brace bars will then be released from the brace blocks and swung down into the bottom section. The standard bars 25, will then be released from headed members 30 and turned downward, thereby allowing the movable section to be lowered. During the lowering, the flexible wall 13, will be tucked inwardly and the top section will then be lowered onto the bottom section. As the two sections come together the pins 32, on the one section will enter the recesses 39, of the other section so as to bring the vertical outer and inner surfaces of the two sections flush with each other, and also to aid in locking the sections against lateral displacement. lVhen the two sections are close together, the

bars 25, will be swung over to engage thenotches 29, with headed members 31, which will further lock the two sections together. The cover section will then be placed on the movable section and the free ends 27, of the bars 25, will enter the edge notches 40, in the side bars 33 of the cover so as to bind said bars and protect them against side blows during shipment. Bolts 42, will then secure the cover section on top of the movable section and the crate will then have a knockdown condition and occupy a minimum space and at the same time will be rigidly secured together for shipment.

Having described my invention what I claim is,

1. A collapsible crate having in combination, a bottom section provided with a rectangular frame; standard bars each having one end pivoted to the outer side of said bottom-section frame so as to swing up to a vertical position and each standard provided at its free end with a side notch 28; a top section provided at its side and near its end with projecting pins 30, which engage said side notches on the standard bars to sustain said top section; two brace bars 21, each of which has one end pivoted to the inner side of said bottom-section frame and the free ends of said two braces adapted to swing upwardly to oppositely-inclined positions and said free ends engaging the said top section when the crate is expanded.

2. A collapsible crate having in combination, a bottom section provided with a rectangular frame; standard bars 25, having one end pivoted to the outer side of said bottonrsection frame so as to swing to either a vertical or an inclined position, and each standard provided near its free end with two side notches one 28, being in one edge and the other 29, in the opposite edge; a top section provided on its outer side near each end with a projecting pin 80, for the engagement of one notch on said standard when the latter is swung to a vertical position to sustain said top section, and said top section also provided intermediate its ends with additional projecting pins 81, for the engagement of the other notch on the standard when the latter is swung to an inclined position to secure the top and bottom sec tions together when the crate parts are in collapsed position.

3. A collapsible crate having in combination, a bottom section provided with a rectangular frame; standard bars each having one end pivoted to the outer side of said bottom-section frame so as to swing up to a vertical position and each standard bar provided at its free end with a. side notch 28 below its upper free extremity 27 a top section provided at its side and near its ends with projecting pins 30, which engage said side notches on the standard bars and sustain said top section when the latter is raised; means connecting between the bottom section and top section when the crate is expanded to secure longitudinal rigidity between the two sections; and a cover resting on the top section and having downprojecting side bars provided on their inner lower edge with notches 37, which when the crate is expanded receive the said upper free extremities of said pivoted standards, whereby said cover prevents the standard-notches disengaging from said pins on the top section.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB H. WUNDERLICH. Witnesses CHAS. B. MANN, BERTHA K. WALTER.

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

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