US1401993A - Folding crate for eggs and other products - Google Patents

Description

- C. L. LEONARD.

FOLDING CRATE FOR EGGS AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FI LED FEB. 27, 1920.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922..

v 21 ZSHEETS-SHEETL C. L. LEONARD.

FOLDING CRATE FOR EGGS AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 27' 1920.

1,401,993, Patented Jan. 3,1922.

1 2 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C. L L EDA/6'80 v flttozmag entree SQFFEQE,

FOLDING CRATE FOB EGGS AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1922.

Application filed February 27, 1920. Serial No. 361,615.

1 0 all to 710m it may concern Be it known that l, CAswnLL Len LEON- ARD, a citizen of the Jnited States, residin at Corinth, in the county of rrlcorn and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates for Eggs and other Products, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to shipping crates, and has for its object the provision of a novel and inoroved fold'ng crate for shipping eggs and other products, which can be collapsed flat so to be stored or returned within small compass, thereby saving space anc transportation cost.

Another object is the provision of such a crate constructed of sheet metal having its walls and top and bottom hingedlv connected in a novel manner, to fold together compactly, and to aiford rigidity when the crate or box is uniolded and erected, the arrangement being such the crate v withstand the wear and -ear which is subected in use.

A still further object is the provision of novel hinge connections between the walls whereby they can be folded together'with t is usual to ble ego cells or ill therein, and said walls beingprovided li m for retaining said fillers therein, especially when the ore to is folded.

It is also the object of the invention to provide such a crate which can be manufactured conveniently and cheaply from sheet metal and which will be thoroughly practical an efiicie' in use.

With the rorego. and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts here inafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within tne scope of what is claimed without depar ing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-i panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crate when empty, and the top swung open.

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections of the crate at right angles to one another, portions being broken away, and Fig. 3 showing the top and bottom swung open in dotted lines.

Fig. 4: is a plan view showing the crate partly folded.

As shown, the crate or box is in the form of a cube although it can be of various rectangular shapes and sizes. The crate comprises the sheet metal front wall 6, rear wall 'Z, side walls 8 and 9, top 10 and bottom 11. The adjacent vertical edges of the front wall 6 and side wall 9 are hingedly connected, as at 12, and the adjacent vertical edges of the back wall 7 and side wall 8 are similarly hinged, as at 13, said hinges coinciding with the corresponding diagonally opposite corners of the crate. The opposite vertical edge of the front wall 6 has a flange or portion 14 extending rearwardly at right angles, and hingedly connected, as at 15, to the forward vertical edge of the side wallS, and, similarly, the vertical edge of the rear wall 7 opposite to the hinge 13 has a flange or portion 16 extending forwardly at right an 'les and hingedly connected, as at 17, with the rear vertical edge of the side wall 9. The hinges 15 and 1? are therefore located short distances away from the corresponding corners of the crate, whereby when the walls are folded together, as suggested in Fig. 4, they will be spaced apart parallel with one another, allowing a spacefor other parts. This arrangementalso enables the walls to be folded into a flat position with the walls 8 and 10 flush, and the walls 9 and 11 also flush. The top 10 has its rear end hingedly connected, as ati18, to the upper edge of the rear wall 7, and the bottom 11 is'similarly hinged, as at 19, at its forward edge to the lower edge of the front wall 6, whereby the top can swing open rearwardly, while the bottom can be swung open forwardly. Thus, in folding the box, when the walls are folded together, the top can be swung against the outer side of the rear wall 7, while the butts 22 with which the hinge butts 21 register when the top and bottom are closed. Bods 23- are then slid through the registering hinge butts 21 and '22, to securely hold the top and bottom closed, and to stiffen and reinforce the corresponding corners of the crate. Each rod'23 preferably has a finger piece or eye 24: at one end for convenience in insertingand withdrawing the rod.

The upper andlower edges of the side walls 8 and 9 are provided with flanges or lips 25 extending :inwa-rdly at an angle,

serving to stiffen said edges of the side walls, as well asto retain the ordinary eggoell fillers 26 Within the crate, especially when it is folded. These fillers 26-are of well known form, comprising partitions crossing one another and foldable together, and'these fillers are disposed one above the other in a tier with horizontal partitions 27 between the fillers for supporting the eggs in the cells; These fillers are used when'the crateis employed for shipping eggs, and the flanges 25 overlap the upper and lower fillers to retain them in place, although the fillers can be removed by hand in emptying the crate. Then, in placing the fillers back into the crate after it has been emptied, the ea.

titions 27, instead of being between the fillers, are 1nserted adjacent to one wall of the crate, being shown in Fig. i as being dis-' posed against the rear wall. The crate can then be folded, the top. and bottom being swung outwardly against the rear and front walls, and the hinges 12 and 18 being moved toward one another. The'iillers 26 will told with the walls, and will be retained in the space between the walls, as provided by the r flanges 14 and 16, and the flanges are of substantially the same width as the flanges l4 andldto close said spaeeat the top and bottom, whereby to retain the fillers 26 and partitions 27 within the folded crate. When the crate is thus "folded, it will require but little space in storing or returning same, and

about tentolded crates can be stored "or shipped. in the space required ,for a single crate when erected. Those ends of the flanges 25 adjacent to, the flangeslt and 16 terminate short of the said flanges 14- and 16 and the corresponding walls '6 and 7, to

permit the crate to close and the said ends or" the fianges 25 to move adjacent to the flanges Hand 16. The side walls'S and 9 are preferably provided with handles28. for convenience in'liftingor carrying the crate,

and which can be swung downwardly against said walls when not muse.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is I A folding crate comprising four sheet metal walls,said walls being hinged at two diagonally opposite corners, twoopposite walls having flanges at their other corners extending at an angle and hinged to the other walls, a top and'a bottom each hinged to one of the first named walls, the last named walls having flanges at their upper second named flanges, when they are in closed position. 7

in testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

caswELL LEE LEONARD.

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