US1589437A - Sheet-metal structure and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

.June 22 1926. v

-J-. c. SHEFFNER SHEET METAL STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 12, 1923 Patented June 22, 1926.

JOHN C. SHEFFNER. 0F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-METAL STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed January 12, 1923.. Serial No. 612,252.

This invention relates in general to metal structures, and is exemplified herein in a sheet metal container adapted to be used for various purposes, and in the method of manufacturing the same.

One of the primary purposes of this invention is to provide a structure in which the top and bottom walls may be secured to the side walls so as to provide a tight and durable joint which will present no sharp exposed edges, but which will be relatively smooth so that the articles may be handled and slid one over another without catching together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure in which one of the walls, the top wall for instance, is made separately from the body and may be readily and securely attached thereto after the structure has been assembled, providing a tight and durable joint by which the top and bottom are locked to the body and which may also be readily unlocked when access tothe interior of the structure is desired.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawmgs.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partially in section, of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are perspective detail sectional views showing successive positions of the parts during the operation of assembling parts; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing an additional reinforcement.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, reference character 6 indicates generally the body of the container comprising side and end walls, which may be formed from a si1igle sheet of metal and bent into the desired rectangular, or other, shape, the ends of the sheet being secured together by welding, looking, or riveting, as preferred.- To this body the top 7 and bottom 8 are attached in accordance with my improved method, which will now be described. 1

Since both the top and bottom are attached t -i the body in the same manner, a tltttllad explanation of the attachment of one of these members will suflice for an understanding of my invention. The body is formed, as previously stated, preferably from a single sheet of metal, and the marguns of this metal, to which the top and bottom are to be subsequently attached, are shaped as shown in Fig. 3, from which it will be observed that near its edges the metal is bent back upon itself, as indicated by reference character 9, and then bent outwardly and upwardly, leaving the projecting marginal edge or skirt 11 disposed parallel with the main wall of the body and spaced therefrom to provide the open topped groove 12, the width of which is substantially equal to the thickness of the metal sheet from which the top and bottom 7 and 8 are formed. This formation of the edges of the body member extends throughoutthe length of'the member so that when it is bent into the form of a container body the upwardly projecting edge 11 and the groove 12 extend entirely around the perimeter of the body. In the structure illustrated the edge 11 15 cut at the corners, as will be apparent from Fig. 2; but obviously in differently shaped structures such cutting might be eliminated. The top and bottom 8 are similarly formed, as previously stated, and referring -to the top 7 it will be-observed from'Fig. 3

that the sheet metal from which the top is formed is bent near its margin to provide the transversely extending groove 13, and beyond this groove is bent outwardly and thence downwardly providing a downwardly opening groove 14 adapted to receive the folded portion 9 of the body, and adownwardly extending flange 15 adapted to fit into the groove 12 of the body. When it is desired to lock the top or bottom, as the case may be, to the body, the procedure is as follows:

The top, for instance, is first set in position, as shown in Fig. 4, with the flange 15 disposed in the groove 12 and the folded portion 9 of the body disposed in the groove 14 of the top. The upwardly projecting margin 11 is then folded inwardly and downwardly into the groove 13, thus securely locking the top to the body as illustrated in Fig. 5. It will be observed that when the locking is completed no sharp or projecting edges are exposed, as pnly rounded sun race: are presumed; a nah will not with into one another when the structures are piled or slid one over the other. Furthermore, the upper face of the margin 11 when bent into and locked in the groove 13 is disposed slightly beneath the upper plane of the main portion of the cover 7, so that no projection whatever is adorded outside the plane of the cover which might interfere with the sliding movements of the structure.

The joint thus produced securely locks the top to the body and provides a tight joint which effectually protects the contents of a container entirely around the perimeter thereof. VJ hen it is desired to remove the cover, the joint can be readily unlocked by simply running a tool beneath the folded margin 11, so as to bend it outwardly into the position shown in Fig. l, whereupon the cover may be lifted oil. The structure, therefore, is adapted for repeated use, since the sheet metal from which it is formed is capable of being bent to loci: and unlock the joint between the top and the body a great many times without injury to the metal.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a method of reinforcing the lower portion of the groove 12 so as to preclude the same from bending outwardly away from the wall 6 under the leverage exerted thereon by the bending of the margin 11 inwardly over the cover. The reinforcement comprises a rib or flange 16 formed by bending the metal of the body outwardly and upwardly so as to embrace the lower portion of the flange 11, thus securely holding the same against displacement. In many forms of structures this reinforcement maybe dispensed with.

It is believed that my improved structure and its preferred method of manufacture will be understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should be obvious that the details of construction and the method of ass-en'ibly may be varied within considerable limits within the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal structure comprising saeet metal walls, the margin of one wall being provided with a groove and terminating outside of said groove in a downwardly extending flange and the margin of an adjacent wall being bent back upon itself and then folded. over said flange with its edge disposed in said groove, whereby to locl: said walls together.

A. sheet metal structure comprising sheet metal walls, the margins of one wall. being bent downwardly, then upwardly and then downwardly to provide oppositely 'l'acing grooves and a downwardly extending marginal flange, the margins of adjacent walls being folded upon themselves and then bent upwardly to provide a flange receiving groove and an outwardly extending flange, the flange of the first mentioned wall being disposed within the groove of the second mentioned wall and locked thereto by said projecting flange of the second mentioned wall which is folded into the outwardly opening groove of the first mentioned wall.

3. A sheet metal structure comprising vertical walls shaped at their edges to provide a folded portion, a groove and a marginal extension, and a top shaped at its edges to provide an outwardly opening groove and an inwardly opening groove adapted to receive the folded portion of the vertical Walls, said marginal extension being bent inwardly and disposed in said outwardly opening groove of the cover.

4;. A sheet metal structure comprising vertical walls shaped to provide the upper margin thereof with an upwardly opening groove reinforced at its bottom, the outer wall of said groove being extended upwardly to form a marginal flange, and a top having a margin shaped to provide an upwardly opening groove and a tongue adapted to enter the side wall groove, the marginal flange of said side wall being folded over the face of said tongue and into the upwardly opening groove of said top.

5. A sheet metal structure comprising side walls bent backwardly upon themselves and thence upwardly to provide an upwardly opening groove, the outer wall of which'extends beyond the groove to provide amarginal flange, the metal of said walls being folded outwardly and upwardly to embrace the lower portion of said groove for reinforcing purposes, and a top having a{ flange adapted to fit the said groove and provided with a groove adapted to receive the inwardly bent edge of said marginal flange.

6. The method of making sheet metal structures which consists in folding the metal of the vertical walls back upon itself and bending the margin back parallel with the walls but spaced from said folded portion to provide a groove, reinforcing the lower portion of said groove by folding the metal of said walls beneath the grooves outwardly and upwardly so as to embrace the outer wall of said groove, bending the edges of a ,cover to form an outwardly opening groove and a downwardly extending flange adapted to enter the groove of said side walls, and then bending the marginal extension of said side walls over said flange and into said outwardly opening groove to lock said walls and cover together.-

JOHN C. SHEFFNER.

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