US1523246A

US1523246A - Folding shipping box

Info

Publication number: US1523246A
Application number: US725181A
Authority: US
Inventors: Berkowitz Aaron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-07-10
Filing date: 1924-07-10
Publication date: 1925-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 1942-01-13

Description

Jan, 13, 1925. 1,523,24fi. A. EERKGVVETZ FOLDING SHIPPING Box;

Filed July 10, 1924 r 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR A. BERKOWITZ FOLDING SHIPPING BOX Filed July 10 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

AARON BERKOWITZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING SHIPPING BOX.

Application filed July 10, 1924. Serial No. 725,181.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatI, AARON BERKow'rrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of the Bronx, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Shipping Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to temporary containers or shipping appliances and has particular reference to such constructions made from stiff paper, cardboard, or other equivalent relatively cheap material and used in large quantities for the packing and ship ping of millinery and many other articles of merchandise. s

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a container or receptacle, capable of storage in relatively small amount of space whereby a comparatively large quantity may be kept on hand ready for use without the sacrifice of valuable store space, and yet one that possesses peculiar novel features of simplicity and cheapness of construction, both as to labor and material, and also one that possesses superior stiffness, strength, or rigidity while in carrying position. 0'

More specifically, one of the objects of the present improvement is to construct a foldable or collapsible box in which all four sides are uncreased or unbroken in the manufacture and collapsed form and one whose bottom is composed of sections hinged respectively to the side members and so interlocked in set up position as to be of double strength and peculiarly well braced to prevent lateral collapse of the box or separation of the bottom sections when external force is brought to bear thereon in any direction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of the invention showin the manner of cutting, substantially wit out waste, two boxes .same rectangular blank with no waste of material. I

Fig. 7 is a. view corresponding practically to the form shown in Fig. 3, the bottom sections being understood as being moved downward into or toward locking position.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the center joint construction according to the pattern of Fig. 6, the view otherwise being similar to Fig. '2.

Fig. 9 corresponds to Fig. 5 in that it represents the locked position of the bottom.

Fig. 10 is a detail erspective view indicating the manner of folding the box for storage or transportation purposes.

It will be understood that the illustrations and specification herewith do not include a box lid, it being contemplated that an suitable form or construction of lid will lie employed as usual in this class of devices and into which the folded box will be nested in normal inactive condition. It will be understood, therefore, that the complete box as herein described will ordinarily be provided with a cover for shipping purposes, but whose construction per se I am not concerned with at this time.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and more particularly to the first set of figures, each box comprises four rectangular side walls or panels A, A?, A and A". These wall members carry bottom sect1ons a a a and a, respectlvely, each as an integral port thereof and connected along a scored blending line 10, such hinge line representing one edge of the finished bottom. Each of the bottom sections just described is of generally right isosceles triangle form, the edge 11 thereof being of a length equal to the edge or line 10, while-the third side or base of the triangle coinciding practically with the diagonal of the box bottom is formed with a re-entrant or undercut notch 12 at the inner side of a hook 13. The notch and hook of one section are the precise counter part of the corresponding parts or features of that bottom section of the duplicate box cut at the same time from the same rectangular piece of stock. It will be understood clearly from Figs. 1 and 2 that the two mating hooks of the two box parts just described have a point of contact 14 that in this form of the invention represents the geometric center of the box bottom,.said point of contact coinciding practically with what might be called the point of interlock of the four bottom sections in the completely set up box as in Fig. 5.

The vertical height of the box walls may have any desired relation to the dimensions of the bottom, but in Fig. 1 I indicate that the side walls are square. At one end of the box pattern is formed a flange 15 which overlaps the remote edge of the remote side wall. A narrow strip of the stock at 16 in this form of the'inventionis discarded but it is so small that it is practically negligible. The flange 15 may be connected by glue or any other well-known fastening means to the edge of the side wall intended for co-operation therewith. Between each side wall and the next is observed of course a scored line 17 for the purpose of shaping the box from a single strip of material and for folding purposes.

At the time ,the box is made each bottom section is folded upward relatively flat against the inner surface of that wall panel to which it is hinged along the line 10, and assuming that the joint is com leted at 15, the box is then collapsed lateraly, bringing two sidewalls and their connected bottom sections directly and flatly against the other two side walls, and then a second fold is made in the manner suggested in Fig. 10, making a fiat structure without breaks or folds in any of the side walls. To set up this box the folded structure is grasped and set upright so that the side walls will be in proper erect position. corresponding to the final set up. The double fold is then opened, out so that what is then the bottom edge represents the diagonal of the box, and then the operator grasps the two mating flat portions of the box with his respective hands and carries them apart and carries with, the wall portions the bottom sections that pertain to the respective wall sections until the structure approximates the position or form of Fig. 3. Upon letting go the bottom sections they fall naturally and directly downward within the box in proper relation to one another and mutually contribute as they are being pushed downward by the operators hand to come into such position as in Figs. 4 and 5 as will not only strongly internally brace the box bottom, but produce practically automatically a rigid interlock at the hooks 13. In the use of the heaviest or stitlest stock it is sometimes desirable to produce coincident with the cut ting of the box bending lines as at 18, such lines intersecting the hooks 13 and either co- .inciding with or practically parallel with the practically double throughout and the interlock is self holding in all directions. The locking hooks have been brought into the secure interlocking relationship in which each notch straddles the other flaps adjacent the notches thereof. From another point of view, the locking notch constitutes a clasp clamping or gripping all of the companion flaps at the corresponding locking notches. Pressure downward from the inside ofthe box is resisted not only by the interlock at the center, but by the fact that each free corner portion of a bottom section rests directly upon that portion of the section beneath it that is integral with the adjacent side wall. Any tendency under ordinary conditions or usage for the bottom to be forced upward from below, is resisted effectually and practically by two facts,

that each bottom section is formed integral with its side wall along the line 10 which prevents the upward displacement of the bottom along such edge, and secondly, all such movement of the bottom is resisted by the effectual interlock at the hooks 13. It will be seen by reference to Figure 1 that the notch 13 extends in the general direction toward the apex of the flap and substantially bisects the oblique edge of the flap; It is by this arrangement that a-teusile stress from opposite directions normal to the base lines of the box is effectively resisted by theinterlocked notches. No component of such stresses would exist in a direction tending to separate the interlocked notches of opposite flaps, but on thecontrary, such stresses would tend rather to draw said interlocked notches into more intimate and tighter coaction. The notches need not extend in the precise direction shown, it being suflicient that the edges of the notches which endure the tensile stress be not inclined in direction opposite to that shown in which latter case the tensile force. whether applied directly or as a consequence of an upward thrust for instance would tend to disengage the interlocked notches. Geometrically expressed, the ef fective locking edge extends relative to the oblique straight line connecting the base corner and apex of the-flap at an angle no greater than that between said oblique line and the base line of the flap. The locking tongues by my arrangement interpose effective barriers to the separation of the associated locking notches from interclasp ing relationship. It is difficult, if not impossible, for the interlocked hooks to be separated even manually for recollapsing or folding of the box after the box is once set up and locked without breaking or-destroying the structure.

The foregoing remarks as to method of setting up and interlocking the bottom sections together apply to both forms of the invention illustrated. In Figs. 6 to 9, however, I show a pattern or method of forming a folding box in which there is even less waste than in the first form. the two boxes cut from the same rectangular sheet are precisely duplicates of each other in that the flange portion 15 has exactly the same relation to the nearest bottom section in each case. I indicate, however, in this form that the box is of less depth than width. The side walls of the box are distin-' guished from the construction in Fig. 1 by the use of the letters B and 6 instead of A and a, but the bending and hinge lines are indicated the, same in both sets 9f figures.

With reference now particularly to Fig. 8, the re-entrant notches 12 are narrower than the notches 12 above described, but the books 13' are practically the same in artoo little to mention. The edge 11' of each bottom section corresponding to the edge 11 above described is slightly offset between its ends but still has abutting. contact with a side wall when the box is set up in order to afi'ord internal bracing or stifiness while the extreme point of each bottom section remote from its hinge line has contact against any side wall. The fourth bottom section has a straight side for contact with the adjacent side wall throughout its length as shown at 11'. Moreover, the extreme point of this bottom section is so truncated as at 19 as to constitute a superior abutment against that side of the box remote from the hinge line of such section.

In all forms shown or suggested herein the invention is peculiarly easy and cheap to manufacture, a fact exceedingly important in view of'the nature of the device and its use, and the manner of opening out or setting up the box from its tolded position is peculiarly simple and easy and also the box when so set up is unusually safe and strong.- Each bottom seetionhas the neral In this form' form of a right isoscelestriangle, one of the equal sides of which is the hinge line connecting it to the adjacent side walls.

While I am aware that the prior art discloses a shipping box embodying four cooperating bottom sections that swing downward into mutual inter-bracing relationship, I believe it to be new and original with me. to provide the bottom sections with re-entrant notches to provide an interlock that will prevent separation or disengagement of said sections when force is brought to bear thereon from the bottom.

I claim:

1. A folding paper box comprising a se ries of similar rectangular sidewalls connected'each to each along vertical hinge lines, each side wa l having a bottom section integral therewith and hinged thereto for folding flat against its side wall or to be swung downward into horizontal position, the several bottom sections being substantially all of the same size and of generally right triangular form, one side of each being its hinge line while the hypothenuse thereof corresponds to the diagonal of the box, and. said hypothenuse of each bottom section being formed at the center of the box with a re-entrant notch bounded on its outer side by a hook like locking tongue, serving to resist separation of any flap from the flap directly opposite thereto by stresses exerted in the planes of such flaps and whereby when all the-bottom sections are moved downward to horizontal position at right angles to the side walls they all so interlock at the notches as to be self-retained against external force applied to the box from any direction.

2. A box of the class described including side walls, flaps connected to the edges of the side walls, tending to fall inward simultaneously by a direct swinging movement, when the side walls are distended, each of said flaps having a conformation substantially at the center of an edge thereof, and .coactingv with the corresponding conformations of the other flaps to form an end wall in which the interengaged conformations resist tensile stresses exerted in the plane of the flaps and substantially normal to the base lines thereof. 7 v

3. A box-of the class described including side walls, flaps connected to the lower edges of the side walls, tending to fall inward simultaneously by a direct swinging movement. when the side walls are distended, each of said flaps having a clasping conformation integral therewith and substantially at the center'of an edge thereof and straddling the corresponding clasping conformations of the other flaps to form; a box bottom in which the inter-engaged conformations resist tensile stresses exerted in the planes of the flaps and substantially normal to the base lines thereof.

an edge thereof into two segments and substantially at the part of said flap positioned at the geometrical center of the box bottom in set-up position, each of said notches coacting with that of the opposite flap in an interlock, the effective locking edge of which extends relative to the straight oblique line joining the base corner to the apex of the flap at an angle not greater than the angle of said oblique line relative to the base line of the flap whereby there is no component of a tensile stress normal to the base lines that tends to draw the locking notches apart.

5. A box of the class described including side walls, substantially triangular flaps connected to the lower edges of the side walls and adapted to fall inward simultaneously by a direct swinging movement when the side walls are distended. said flaps having lockin notches substantially at the centers of their interengagin edges, the notch of each flap straddling t e notch of the opposite fiap by a booking action, whereby tensile stress exerted from opposite directions in the planes of the flaps and normal to the base lines is efi'ectively resisted.

6. A box comprising side .walls connected in a tubular structure, identical bottom Wall flaps integral with the lower edges thereof, each of said flaps of generally right angle triangle form and having an oblique edge including a hooking tongue having one of the sides thereof generally lengthwise of the hypotenuse, said hooking tongue having a locking portion disposed substantially precisely at the part of the flap forming the geometrical center of the bottom when the box is set up.

7. A box comprising side walls connected in a tubular structure, identical bottom wall flaps integral with thelower edges thereof, each of said flaps of generally right angle triangle form and having an oblique edge including a hooking tongue having one of the sides-thereof generally lengthwise of the hypotenuse. said hooking tongue having its two sides substantially parallel to each other.

and a locking notch in communication with the inner side.

8. A box comprising side walls connected in a tubular structure, identical bottom wall flaps integral with the lower edges thereof. each of said flaps of generally right angle triangle form and having an oblique edge, said oblique edge comprising a portion extending from the side wall to the part of the flap constituting the center of the bottom when the box is set up and an edge parallel to said first edge extending inward from the apex of the flap to beyond said center, said projecting part constituting a hooking tongue determining with said first edge portion a locking notch at said center portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa ture.

AARON BERKOWITZ.