US1368606A - Knockdown crate - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 15,1921.

INVENTOR A TTORNE V UNITED STATES ARTHUR J. COLE, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed May 28, 1920. Serial No. 384,940.

To all w ham 5?? may co /10cm Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. Coin, a citizen of the United States residing at Saginaw, in the county. of aginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Crates; andI do hereby dcclarethe following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to crates, and pertains more particularly to-knockdown crates such as are employed for the shipment of automobile engines and similar heavy pieces of machinery.

As is well known, machinery of this class is shipped in great quantities, from the production factories to the factories in which the machinery is to be assembled in the completed vehicle.

l'lereto'lore crates have been employed for shipping such machines, but since the crates are oi" necessity very, heavy and strong, they have usually beenreturned to the point of departure, either completely set up, or knocked down, but to return them in the knockdown condition, the sides and ends have usually been taken apart by removing bolts and nuts.

This method of disassembling the crates for return shipment has resulted in more or less breakage and ultimately a lack of rigidity in the crate, due to wear caused by re peated shipment.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a knockdown crate for the purpose described, the sides, cradles and ends of the crate being so arranged that they can be quickly assembled and taken apart, without unfastening bolts and nuts and consequently without weakening the structure for future shipments.

My improvement also enables the weight of the engine to be carried entirely upon the main sills, thus relieving the side and end frames of undue strain.

A still further object is to provide an improved means for fastening the ends to the two sides, whereby the endsserve not only to hold the frame together, but also to act as a clamp to draw the parts together and hold them rigidly.

With the foregoing and certain other objects in view which will appear later in the specification, my invention comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, F igure 1 is a perspective YlGW of a completed crate with one end partly removed.

Fig. 2 1s a perspective detail, showing the manner of securing the lower part of one of the ends of the crate to the lower part of the side frame.

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail, showingthe upper connection between the sides and ends.

Fig. l an enlarged detail, showing the (lOllZllBCtlll members illustrated in Fig. 3.

111g. 5 is a perspective view, showing out of the sills and the locking device by which the main engine support or cradle is fastened to the sill. 7

In the drawings, 1, 1 are the sills, which carry the main engine-supporting cradles.

and 3 are the removable cradles comprising the. main engine support. The sides of the crate consist of the sills 1, 1, theoorner uprights 4 and 5 and the top rail 6 secured thereto. A diagonal brace connects the top red at one end with the opposite end of Slll 1.

To receive the main engine support 2, a vertical block 8 is secured to sill 1 and to the corner support 15 and the cradle 2 is received between this block and an upright 9, as shownin Fig. 1. Similarly asecond main engine support 3 is removably received between the two uprights 10 and 11.

The end of the support 2 is notched as at .12 to take over the sill 1, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5.

Block 8 and upright 9 prevent sidewise movement oi the cradle 2 and the uprights 10 and 11 similarly prevent sidewise movement of the cradle The weight of the engine resting upon the cradles 2 and 3 is thereby brought directly upon sills 1, 1. To prevent sidewise move ment of the sills 1, 1, I provide a suitable locking or fastening device to removably connect the cradle ends with the sills. One form of this device is shown in Fig. 1, where 18 is a bar or lug secured to the end of the engine support and projecting downwardly on the outside of sill 1.

A modified formoi' fastener is shown in Fig. 5, where 14 is a laterally projecting retaining lug carried by the cradle 2 and adapted to be received between the upright 9 and an oil-set bar 15 secured to upright 9.

the crate end 16, so that both pins, as 17' may be simultaneously inserted in the lugs 18, while the crate end is tilted outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. When the crate end is swung up to its vertical position the angularly disposed pins and lugs lock together. The top edges of the crate end are secured to the top rails 6 by the fastening shown in Figs. 3 and 4C, or its equivalent, where-an angular lug 19 having a square aperture 19 therein, is adapted to receive the looped head 20 of a bracket 21, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The two members 19 and 21 are thereupon held together by a rectangular wooden pin orwedge 22, which is driven through the looped head 20 of bracket 21.

This wooden pin is not likely to be jarred loose, as would be the case with a bolt or similar fastening and no wrench is required to remove it when taking the crate apart. 1

By the means above described I have produced an extremely strong and durable, yet simple crate construction that is capable of being quickly put togetherand taken apart and that can be packed in small space for return shipment. The weight of the engine or other article to be carried is carried directly upon the sills, and the main engine supports or cradles in addition serve to hold the crate together in a rigid rectangular form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is: V p V 1. In a. knockdown crate, the combination of a pair of sills, an upright member at the end of each sill, removable cradles formed with notched ends to engage said sills, upright members secured to said sills and spaced apart to receive said cradles between them, a crate end, a pair of downwardly and inwardly projecting pins secured to the lower end of said crate end, a pair of angularly disposed apertured lugs secured to the sides ofthe crate and adapted to receive said pins, a pair of apertured angular lugs secured to the sides of the crate at the upper ends thereof, a bracket having a loop received in said aperture and a removable pin received in said aperture, substantially as described.

2. In a knockdown crate, the combination of a pair of sills, uprights spaced apart and secured to said sills, cradles formed with notched ends adapted to rest upon said sills and received between said uprights, retaining lugs carried by said cradles and adapted to engage said sills, and removable" crate ends secured to said sills, for the purposes set forth. I

3. In a knockdown crate having sills and upright members secured to the ends of said sills, removable crate ends, said. crate ends having at their lower edges downwardly and inwardly projecting pins, angular lugs secured to said sills and formed with apertures to receive said pins, angularlugs secured to the upper ends of said upright members, and angular brackets secured to said crate ends and adapted to'engage said lugs, and removable pins received in said brackets and lugs, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a crate having sills and cradles formedwith notched ends to engage said sills, a fastening device for said cradles comprising an offset bar carried by said sill and an outwardly projecting lug carried by the opposite cradle and adaptedto releasably engage said offset bar, for the purposes set fort 5. In a crate having sills and upright members at the ends of said sills and top rails connecting the upper ends of said upright members, a top fastening comprising an apertured lug secured to one of said members, a bracket having a looped head adapted to be received in said apertured lug, said bracket secured to a top rail, and a plug removably inserted in the looped head of said bracket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

. ARTHUR J. COLE.

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