US1785665A - Merchandise carrier - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16-, 193.0.

E. E. ASELTINE MERCHANDISE CARRIER Filed March 26, 1929 mwr Patented Dec. 16, 1936 'uurrsn STATES PATENT OFFICE ETHAN E. ASELTINE, OF ST ALBANS, VERMONT MERCHANDISE CARRIER I Application filed March 26, 1929. Serial No. 350,029.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a rigid case or box and to provide a yieldable and preferably flexible lining or envelope which will practically surround the sides of the bunch and hold it out of contact with the inner wall of the crate.

It is a still further object of this invention to produce a device of this character which can be repeatedly used and to also provide means by which the bunch of bananas can be expeditiously stored in each compartment or removed therefrom, and in which the en.-

velope or guard may be expeditiously fastened around the bananas after they have been installed in the crate or box.

- It is noted that the terms box and crate have been used alternately herein and it is the purpose of the inventor that the rigid box, housing or crate may be of any appropriate material which will serve to protect the fruit in shipment.

Furthermore, it is the purpose of the inventor that the units may comprise one or a plurality of compartments arranged side by side or one above the other, each compartment having the envelope or fruit protecting 55 lining.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, where- 5 in like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation, partly in section of a shipping crate embodying the invention; 7

3;- Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a unit with the envelope secured to encircle the fruit;

Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view thereof with the envelope open for the reception of the bananas; and

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of a fragment of the device showing the bananas suspended therein.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the crate, box, or housing 6 is formed by walls which enclose it, except at one side and the open side is intended for the insertion and removal of the fruit.

A fruit encasing or embracing envelope 7 may consist of burlap or other fibrous material. or cloth, but in practice burlap has been found satisfactory. The cloth is inserted in the container, as shown in Fig. 4:, and its longitudinal edges may be secured to the side walls of the container in any appropriate way, or to other parts of the structure, as desired. The fabric is here shown as being secured to the innerside walls by fastenings 8, such as tacks or the like, and the said fabric is connected to the inner side and rear walls of the container by flexible elements 9, such as loops or strips of cloth or cord of proper strength, it being the purpose of the inventor that these elements shall serve to stay the envelope and prevent it from undue movement under the influence of the movement of the bananas while the container is being handled in shipment.

A hanger or bracket 10 is secured to the top of the container at its inner surface and this bracket may be of any appropriate construction, capable of supporting the weight of a bunch of bananas, and it is intended to be engaged by a hook 11 or other connection between the bunch of bananas and the bracket, although other means for suspending the bunch of bananas in the container may be employed.

After the bananas have been inserted in the container and envelope, the said envelope is drawn closely around the bananas and se' cured therearound by ties or devices 12 engaging the said envelope between the locations of the anchorage of its edges and the bananas which the envelope encircles or partly encircles. Any appropriate securing device or tie may be employed and it may be provided with any of the well known friction or tongue buckles or other means to insure an adjust- 'ment and securement thereafter which will prove eflective in holding the envelope or protector around the bananas, as it is shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

I claim:

1. In a shipping device for bunches of bai V nanas, a casing having an open side, a flexible member having its edges securedat the sides of the opening of the container and having its body looped rearwardly into the container, stays connecting the flexible member to the inner Walls of the casing whereby the flexible member will be held in spaced relation to the said walls, and means engaging the flexible member between the locations of the anchorage of its edges to the container and bananas which may be embraced by said flexible member for drawing the flexible member around the bananas. V v

, 2. In a shipping device for bunches of bananas, a casing having an open side, a flexible member adapted to partially encircle a bunch of bananas, means connecting the said flexible member to the sides of the casing operative to hold the flexible member in spaced relation to the said sides, means for securing the longitudinal edges of the flexible member to sides of the casing, and means secured to the flexible member between its edges and a bunch of fruit partially embraced by said flexible member for drawing the flexible member into close contact with the fruit and exerting a pull on the stays. r

ETHAN E. ASELTINE.

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