US1829383A - Crate or case - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1931. R ALLING 1,829,383

CRATE OR CASE Filed Feb- 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mwfA/mi Z Patented Oct. 27, 1931 tlhli'lf'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDYVAR-D BOY ALLING, OF KENMORE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO RICE & ADAMS COR- PORLATION, OF BUFFALO, NEXV YORK CRATE R CASE Application filed February 24, 1928.

This invention relates to crates, cases and the like which are built up of wooden side and end slats or boards connected togethei at the upright corners of the case by metal corner connectors, fittings or reinforcements, and more particularly to bottle crates of this sort which are used, for example, for handling milk bottles, and are ordinarily provided with partition wires or strips which divide the crate into a plurality of pockets each adapted to receive one bottle, whereby the bottles are separated and held from shifting about in the crate and from contacting with each other.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable and practical crate or case of this sort, which embodies various improvements and has various advantages hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a milk bottle crate embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is'an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation.

thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation, enlarged, on line 5-5 of Fig; l, showing the stay or brace device for the partition wires.

I Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation thereof on line 66, Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is'a transverse, sectional elevation of of the crate on line 77, Fig. l.

Fig; 8 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof, on an enlarged scale, on line 8-8-,

' Fig. 2.

one of the corner connections on line 1010,

Fig. 11.

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary, horizontal section on an enlarge'dscale on linen-11, Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a similar horizontal, sectional view on line12-12, Fig. 10.

Serial No. 256,714.

The upright walls of the crate or case are formed by horizontal side slats or boards 15 and end slats or boards 16, each wall" being preferably composed of a plurality of the slats 15 and 16 arranged on edgevertically one above the other, the ends of these side and end slats being connected together by corner connectors or reinforcements at'the fou'r upright corners of the crate.

Each ofthese corner connectors is formed by an outer angle plate 17 and an inner-angle plate 18 which are preferably formed from sheet metal. The two flanges of the outer angle plate 1'? extend vertically flat against the outer faces of adjacent end a-nd'side slats of the crate, and the upper ends of the flanges of the outer angle plate 17 are preferably bent inwardly, as indicated at 19, over and against the upper edges ofthe top slat-s of the crate. The lower end of the outer angle plate 17 is slotted to form reduced extensions 20, see Fig. 9, which are bent inwardly under the lower edges of the adjacent bottom slats and then upwardly at the inner'sides of the bottom slats. portions of the outer angle plate 1'? are pref erably out so that the inbent extensions 19 and 20 thereof will meet in miter joints, as indicated at the top in F ig'. 9. The inner an le plate 18 has vertical flange portions 21 which extend vertically at an angle to each other flat against the inner vertical faces of the slats of the adjacent end and side of the crate, and which portions 21 are connected by horizontally bent, preferably U-shaped portions 22 which extend outwardly toward the flanges of the outer angle plate 17 and are secured thereto, as by rivets 23, thereby connecting the inner and outer angle plates rigidly together and forming a plurality of spaced pockets 24: in which the ends of the adjacent side and end slats are adapted to-fit, and by which the slats are held in place. The inner angle plate 18 having this form, can be conveniently formed from a sheet metal plate which is bent to form the U-shapedtran'sverse Both the upper and lower end portions'22,-and is slit longitudinally on its median line 2202 through these U-shaped portions, after which the plate thus bent, is bent longitudinally along its median line 22mto form the flange portions 21 which bear against the inner faces of the slats. After the ends of theslats 15' and 16 havebeen inserted in the pockets 24:, rivets of fasteners 25 are passed through registering holes 26 in the flanges of the inner and outer angle plates 17 and 18'and through the top slats 15'and 16, and riveted at their ends, thus fastening the inner and outer angleplates 17 and 18- and through holes in the endsof the bottom slats and-are .rivetedattheir ends. The

' rivets 27for the bottom slats also preferably pass through the upbent, bottom end extensionsQ O of ;the outer angle plate so thatthe same rivets also secure these fupbent extens ons in place.

' uThe corner connectors at the four corners of ;the crate are'thus secured together through the medium of the top and bottom slats,-and the intermediate slats are retained in place by fitting inthe intermediate pockets I 2 f the cornerconnectors, but only the top and bottom slats need to be riveted or-permar I repairs to the crate.

nentl ysecured to the connectors. Therefore,

in theevent oflany oflthe slatsof thecrate being broken, it is only necessaryto cut theriYets at the upper or lowerends of the corner connectors to permit the' separation ofthe partsof the crate and. theinsertion of new slats to -replace the -brokenones. This en ables quick and comparatively inexpensive p I .7 I. hold the cratesinvertical alinement'. In the crate shown,the slats are wider ver-' ticallythan the pockets 2 1 and areformed with end tenons'28 of asize to enter the if desired, the slatsv can be made no wider vertically than the poc kets,in whichcase the pockets. Therefor.e, the slatsof each wall can meet edge to edge to form a solid wall, or

walls of the crate will be formed by slats separated by open spaces. Also the corner connectors can be made withpockets 24 of diflerent heights and indilferent numbers,

' thus adapting-the walls of the crate to be built up of different numbers ofslats which may either abutedge to edge or be .spaced apart desired distancesv:30and 31represent iprot ecting shoes. for 'the lower edges of the crate. Each of these shoes consists of a channel shaped metal strip i which embraces thebo'ttom edge ofone of the -lower slats of thecrate, extending across the and outer faces ofithe slat. M Thelchannel shoe;

edge and 21 ShOI'lZ CllSlJfll'lCG up along the inner is secured to the i crate by, rivets .82 passing transversely;through'the slat and through mi age *rivetedto and tie together the metal connectors at the four corners of the crate and thereby form a continuous metal tie or hinder extendingcompletely around the lower end of the crate. The bottom walls-of the channel shoes are preferably cut away, at their ends at 35, see Fig. 13, and abut against the edges of the'hori'zontal parts of the inbent extensions of the outer angle plates 17 of thecorner connectors. The bottom walls of the shoes and. the inbent extensions 20 of the corner plates 17 arethusjfiush with each other at the bottom edges of the, crate and provide-a metal surface'extending completely aroundthe bottom edgeofthe crateadapted to take the wear-incident toshoving or dragging. the crate along on the floor or pavement. Preferably, the bottom slats '15 and 16 are rabbeted or recessed a 36 to receive the outer flanges of th'e channel shoes'and their perforated lugs, so that the outer, vertical faces.

the outer faces cornerglugs t0 shown preferably'consist of sheet metal stampings and are secured in the corners of the crate byrivets which connect the upper ends of the corner connectors to the upper slats of the crate, and the corner irons 40 are preferably recessed to. receive the upper 'ends'of the inner plates 18 of the corner connectors so that the lugs 40 can fit flat against the inner faces of the top slats, of the crateat the upper edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 7. V

represent the usual bottom wires which extend lengthwiseof the crate near its bottom and are secured to the ends of'the crate, the wires 50 thus forming bottom supports for the bottles. Above the bottom wires 50 are the usuallongitudinal partition wires 51 The in the intended spaced relation and prevented from being bent between their ends by a transverse spacing bar or strip 5%, see Fig. 7, which is bent to provide seats 55, in which the bottom wires rest, and is bent upwardly at 56 between spaced pairs of the bottom wires 50, as indicated in Fig. 7. A transverse securing wire 57 is threaded through holes in the upbent portions 56 of the spacing strip 54, above the bottom wires 50. This wire retains the bottom wires in the seats in the spacing strip 54 and the wire 57 passes through down-bent ends of the spacing strip 54 and is secured in the sides of the crate, thereby securing the spacing strip in place so that the latter firmly holds the bottom wires and prevents the bending or spreading of the same.

60 represents two stays or braces for tying together and bracing the bottom and partition Wires. Each of these ties or braces 60 preferably consists of an upright, flat metal strip having its lower end bent or looped around the transverse wire 57 and passing through a slot 61, Figs. 5 and 6, in the spacing strip 54, and has its upper end bent or looped around one of the top, transverse partition wires 52. One of the top longitudinal partition wires 51 passes through registering holes 62 in the looped upper end of the stay 60 beneath the top, transverse wire 52 in the top loop of the stay. Between its ends, the stay 60 is provided with a hole 63 through which one of the intermediate, longitudinal partition wires 51 passes, and adjacent this hole the stay is slit longitudinally at 64, see Fig. 5, and the parts of the stay at opposite sides of the slit are bent in opposite directions to form an eye 65, Fig. 6, through which one of the intermediate, transverse partition wires 52 passes. The stay or tie 60 is thus securely fastened at its lower end to the transverse wire 57 and bottom wires 50, and at its upper end to the intersecting, longitudinal and transverse partition wires 51 and 52, and between its ends is connected to the intermediate, longitudinal. and transverse partition wires 51 and 52. Thus, these several wires are securely tied together and a rigid connection or brace formed between the same, which prevents bending or deflection of the wires, and forms a very strong connection between them.

Milk men in handling these crates, frequently lift them when filled with bottles, by the partition wires, and unless the wires are properly braced and tied together between their ends, they are soon bent out of shape so as not to properly perform their intended function. The above described stay and brace prevents such deflection or displacement of the wires, and the wires or crate cannot be injured by handling or carrying the crate by means of the wires.

The end Walls of the crate are preferably provided with the usual hand holes for the insertion of the fingers in carrying the crate. In large dairies and milk distributing plants, stacks of these crates filled with bottles are often moved about on two-wheeled hand trucks, and in loading the trucks, it is common practice in some plants to insert a hook in the hand hole of one of the crates of the stack to tilt the stack over onto the truck when loading the truck. These hooks are apt to breakv or tear the wood of the crate around the hand holes 70. In order to prevent this injury and wear on the crates, a wear plate 71 is preferably secured on the inside of the end wall of the crate above each hand hole. This wear plate may be riveted or secured to the wall of the crate in any suitable manner, and its lower edge 72 is preferably bent outwardly to fit and conform to the rounded or curved edge of the hand hole so that the wear plate presents a smooth, rounded edge which will not cut or injure the hands of the person carrying the crate. Nevertheless, the wear plate forms a metal surface adapted to be engaged by the hook in loading the crates onto the truck, and not only prevents injury to the slats, but also prevents the tearing or splitting of the wood so that the hand of the person handling the crate is not apt to be injured by the rough surface of splinters of the wood.

I claim as my invention:

1. A case comprising side and end walls, and having pairs of longitudinal bottom wires, a horizontal spacing strip for supporting said bottom wires including a seating part extending beneath each pair of said wires and having seats therefor, said strip also having npbent parts projecting between said pairs of wires and connecting said seating parts, and a horizontal securing wire extending between and fixed to opposite walls of said case and which passes through holes in said spacing strip so as to extend under said upbent parts thereof and over said seating parts against said bottom wires for bold ing the same securely in said seats.

2. A case comprising side and end walls, and having pairs of longitudinal bottom wires, a horizontal spacing strip for supporting said bottom wires including a seating part extending beneath each pair of said wires and having seats therefor, said strip also having upbent parts projecting between said pairs of wires and connecting said seating parts, a horizontal securing wire extending between and fixed to opposite walls of said case and which passes through holes in said spacing strip so as to extend under said upbent parts thereof and over said seating parts against said bottom wires for holding the same securely in said seats, and said spacing strip having end portions engaging said opposite end walls and having holes therein spacing strip" for supporting sai'd bottomj thronghwhieh'said scuring wire-passes for securing sa d strip in-place 1n sald case.

x 3; A case comprising side and end. walls,

longitudinal and transversepartition wires connectmg s'ald endand-slde walls respectively above said b0tt0m1w1r'es, a horlzontal wiresi 'includlng a seating part extend ingbeneath each. pair of said wires and havingrseats therefor and having upbent i parts prejecting between said pairs of wires and conne'cting said seating parts, a horizontal securing 7 wire. extending between and I strip and loopedabout said securing wire with said .stripengaging upon said l00p,'

{ whereby said bottom wires, said securing wire and said spacing vstrip are braced and .fixed te opposite walls of said case and which passes through holes in said spacing strip and extends under said upbent parts thereof and oversaid seating parts against said bot- '1 ternwiresifor holding them in their seats and a stay strip'having its upperend secured to a longitudinal andlatransverse partition wire at their intersection and having its lower-end extending downwardly through said spacing I pre vented from-downward deflection.

V E. ROY ALLING.

Images