US1190042A - Folding crate. - Google Patents

Description

A. C. THGMPSON.

FOLDING CRATE- APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 12. 1915.

, Patented July 4, 1916.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 foo ALONZO C. THOMPSON, OF MOUNT UNION, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed March 12, 1915. Serial No. 13,930.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALoNzo C. THOMP- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Union, in the county of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to folding crates, and one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide simple and substantial means for hinging the parts of the crate so that it may be folded within a small compass for return shipment.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a hinge of novel construction for folding crates, said hinge being formed of a continuous piece of sheet metal bent into form and having a continuous pintle extending through all the bent members of the hinge.

The foregoing and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding crate made in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary elevation of a hinge for folding crates made in accordance with this invention, Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of this invention showing a crate having the parts hinged together in accordance with this invention. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the crate in the process of being folded for reshipment. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section through a crate and showing the sliding door for the same made in accordance with this invention, and Fig. 6 is' a transverse sectional view of a modified form of the crate made in accordance with this invention and having a folding bottom hinged to one side of the crate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the top longitudinal bars of the crate and 2 are the bottom longitudinal bars.

As shown there are four top bars and four bottom bars, and they are preferably formed of suitable wood or metal, and extending through the two central bars and into the two side bars are wires 3, and as shown in Fig. 1 the side members comprise each a rectangular frame 4: having vertical wire slats 5, said sides being hinged at 6 to the side bottom bars 2 to fold inwardly against the bottom. For holding the sides in upright position, U-shaped keepers 7 are pivoted in staples 8 on the side top bars 1 to turn down and inclose the upper longitudinal bars of these sides.

The ends of the crate are made up of vertical bars 9 connected to the ends of the bottom bars 2 by mortise and tenon hinges 10, and short sections 11 are connected to the upper end of the bars 9 by mortise and tenon hinges 12. The hinges 10 and 12 are each provided with a continuous wire pintle 13 and 1A extending through the bars and through the tenons. The upper ends of the short sections 11- are also provided with similar hinges 15. At the opposite end of thecrate the end consists of the bars 16 hinged at their upper ends to the rod or wire 17 and at their lower ends the members 16 are connected to the bottom longitudinal bars 2 by means of a continuous strip of metal folded together to provide leaves 18 and extending into a slot or recess in the ends of the bars 16 and connected by means of a wire or rod 19 to form a hinge. The continuous strip of metal is bent together as described and extended across as at 20 from one bar 2 to the other. For holding theportions of the strip 20 in place, bars 21 are secured by suitable fas teningsthrough the strip 20 to the longitudinal bars 2.

In the top of the crate is a door comprismg slde members 22, a cross bar and handle member 23 and extending from its ends 24: having projecting portions 25 which extend underneath one of the cross wires 3. The door is adapted to slide on the wire 3*, and to swing on said wire as a hinge. The opposite ends of the door frame are provided with reduced projecting portions 26 which engage the cross wire 3 when slid under the same, and a spring catch 27 holds the door closed. In order to open the door the handle 23 is grasped and the door is slid backward until the ends 26 are out of alinement with wire 3", when the door can be swung on the pivot wire 3. The bottom or floor 28 is secured to the longitudinal bars 2. As shown in Fig. 5, this crate may be folded by swinging the keepers 7 into alinement with the longitudinal bars 1, and folding the sides inward when the top may be folded relatively to the bottom to occupy but little space as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 of the draW- ings, it will be seen that a crate designed more particularly for containing apples, potatoes, or similar produce may be formed by means of longitudinal bars a and end bars 5, said bars being connectedtogether at one corner by mortise and tenon hinges connected by a. pintle rod 0, while at the opposite side of each of the ends are the metal hinge devices previously described, formed by means of a metal plate bent upon itself at (Z and extending into a slot in the ends of the bars Z2 and provided with a pintle c. This kind of a. crate may be provided with a bottom 7 hinged at g and folded inwardly against one of the sides of the crate, said bottom being provided with cross cleats it. The sheet metal continuous hinge at the base portion may extend into slots in the ends of the bars a as shown at i in Fig. 4. This crate may be readily folded by throwing the bottom f up against one side and then folding the side bars and end bars as shown in Fig. 4 to occupy but little space.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. A folding crate having sides hinged to fold inwardly, a bottom member, a top mem her, and end members hinged to the top and bottom members, one of said hinges being formed of a continuous strip of metal bent upon itself and extending into slots in the adjacent vertical end member and provided with a. continuous rod extending through said slots and hinge, the continuous strip being connected to the bottom of the crate.

2. A folding crate made up of longitudinal bars and vertical bars connected by wire rods, the bottom being provided at one end with a continuous sheet metal hinge, bent upon itself to form a plurality of hinge members, said hinge members and the vertical members of the adjacent end being connected by means of a pintle rod, and the plate continued across the bottom of the crate and secured thereto.

3. A folding crate comprising hinged sides adapted to be folded inwardly, top and bottom members, hinged end members, said end members provided at one end with sectional vertical bars connected together by mortise and tenon hinges, and the opposite end member being provided with a continuous metal strip hinge, said strip being bent upon itself to form a plurality of hinge members mounted in slots in the ends of the vertical bars and connected by means of a continuous pintle rod, said metal strip being secured in slots formed in one of the end members of the crate.

4. A folding crate comprising hinged sides adapted to be folded inwardly, top and bottom members, hinged end members, said end members provided at one end with sectional vertical bars connected together by mortise and tenon hinges, the opposite end member being provided with a continuous metal strip hinge, said strip being bent upon itself to form a plurality of hinge members to be mounted in the slots formed in the ends of the vertical bars and the end members, a pintle rod extending through the ends of the end members for holding the continuous strip therein, said metal strip being secured to the bottom of the crate.

5. A crate including end members, each provided at one end with slots, other members, means hinging the other ends of said end members to one of said other members, hinges connecting the slotted ends of said end members to the second of said other members, each of said hinges being formed of a continuous strip of metal secured to said second member and bent to provide a plurality af leaves fitting in said slots, and rods passing through said end members and said leaves.

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

ALONZO O. THOMPSON.

WVitnesses:

A. M. Masnimnn, Mrs. A. C. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commisxloner of intents, Walhington, D. 9.

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