US1933869A

US1933869A - Packing container

Info

Publication number: US1933869A
Application number: US592918A
Authority: US
Inventors: Moses P Mosesian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-02-15
Filing date: 1932-02-15
Publication date: 1933-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1950-11-07

Description

NW P. ms sm 1333,8659

PACKING CONTAINER Filed Feb, 15, 1932 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1' n I, INVENTQR. T10 )"Z /M uses M0533! Or? Z7 Z5 ATTORNEYS.

'Nmm Z M. P. MOSESEAN 199339869 PACKING CONTAINER Filed Feb. l5,v 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PACKING CONTAINER Moses P. Mosesian, Fresno, Calif.

Application February 15, 1932. Serial No. 592,918 R U 3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to devices for packing and shipping food producis and more particularly relates to containers for packing and shipping fresh fruits such as grapes, plums, pears and citrus fruits.

Some of the important factors controlling the proper construction of containers for shipping fresh fruits and the like are:--strength to withstand more or less rough handling of the container during shipment; simplicity and economy of construction; design for protection of the fruit from bmising; and ventilation to insure preservation of the pack.

While some of the above mentioned factors have been taken into account in the construction of many of the present type of packing containers, others of these controlling factors have been either overlooked entirely or have been sacrificed in attaining but one of the desired results. In other words, in present packing containers, strength, and simplicity and economy of construction have been stressed, while protection from bruising of the pack and ventilation thereof have been ignored. In other containers, while one or both of the latter factors may have been considered to some extent, the others have been overlooked. Due to the lack of attention to all of these vital factors, the use of present packing containers, in general, has resulted either in damage or spoilage of the pack in shipment or damage of such extent to the container that the pack is strewn about.

Broadly, it is an object of my invention to provide a packing container which is particularly adapted for the shipping of fresh fruit and which affords proper ventilation of the pack so as to insure preservation thereof during the entire shipment; which avoids bruising of the pack during handling thereof; and which is ruggedly yet inexpensively manufactured.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a part of an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective of an embodiment of another element of the invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, in cross section, of an entire embodiment of the invention illustrating a bunch of grapes substantially in packed position.

Figure 4 is an end elevation, in cross section, of the embodiment of my invention which is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a development of the element of the invention which is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a partial elevation of a modified embodiment of the element of my invention which is shown in Figure 2.

In its preferred form, the packing container of my in ention preferably comprises a receptacle having an apertured bottom and apertured side walls together with pack carrying means engaging and cooperating with the inner faces of the walls and bottom of the receptacle to provide an interior continuous passageway which communicates with the exterior of the receptacle and with the interior of said means, and extensions on said means projecting from the walls of the receptacle tohold the pack out of contact with the upper edges of said walls.

While the receptacle of my invention can be the standard lug box employed in shipping fruits, provided with holes in the bottom and side walls thereof, I preferably provide a receptacle, generally designated as 11, which is somewhat similar to the conventional lug box and which includes a pair of

side walls

12 and 13 and a pair of

end walls

14 and 16. However, the preferred embodiment of the receptacle 11 of my invention differs from the standard lug box in that it, includes a bottom made of a plurality of spaced slats 1'7 and 18 which span the

end walls

14 and 16 and which preferably are spaced from the

side walls

12 and 13 to provide longitudinally extending

apertures

19, 21 and 22 in the bottom between the

slats

17 and 18 and adjacent to the

side walls

12 and 13 respectively. It should be observed also that the

end walls

14 and 16 are constructed so as to project above the

side walls

12 and 13 so that upon fitting a lid 23 to the receptacle, longitudinally extending apertures 24 and 25 are provided in the side walls adjacent to the lid.

The packing container of my invention also includes a false bottom or insert 26, which engages the inner faces of the

side walls

12 and 13,

endwalls

14 and 16, and the bottom of the receptacle and in which the pack is disposed. The insert 26 conveniently can be fabricated of a single sheet although it can be formed of a plurality of sheets, if desired. Preferably I employ a single sheet or a plurality of sheets of fibrous material, but the sheet or sheets utilized can be any suitable material, such as veneer. If veneer is employed asthe material for the insert 26, the veneer must be worked, as is well known, under a moist condition in order to form the insert.

A development of the preferred embodiment of the insert is illustrated in Figure 5. It is to be noted that a sheet is or sheets are so stamped from a supply of the material that, upon folding the sheet or sheets, the insert 26 which is formed preferably includes a base 2'? having a plurality of slots 28 therein, a pair of inclined side walls 29 having a plurality of slots 30 therein, and a pair of inclined end walls 31 having slots 32 therein and also provided with extensions 33. An insert of this character is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and, as above stated, preferably is formed of a sheet or a plurality of sheets of fibrous material. Should it be desired to provide a veneer insert, a sheet or sheets of veneer can be stamped in substantially the same manner as when employing fibrous material in that the stamping can be such as to provide an insert 26 with inclined slotted side and end walls. In the veneer modification, I have found it desirable to line the upper edges of the inclined walls of the veneer insert with a reinforcing strip 34 of any suitable metal, such as tin, to prevent splitting of the veneer adjacent the slots in the walls. (See Figure 6.)

In operative position, the bottom 27 of the insert 26 rests upon the bottom of the receptacle 11, with the slots 28 of the bottom 27 registering with the longitudinally extending apertures 19 between the spaced slats 1'7 and 18 of the receptacle bottom, and the upper edges of the inclined side and

inclined end walls

29 and 31 respectively of the insert 26 engage respectively the side and end Walls of the receptacle. Further, the extensions 33 of the inclined end walls of the insert project above the end 'walls of the receptacle 11 and can be folded against the pack to hold the same out of contact with the upper edges of the receptacle end walls. The provision of the extension 33 on the insert 26 is advantageous in that the extensions protect the pack from becoming smashed or bruised upon placing a lid upon the receptacle prior to the shipment of the fruit.

The engagement of the insert 26 with the receptacle 11 affords, due to the inclination of the side and end walls of the insert, a continuous passageway 36 within the receptacle which is substantially bounded by the insert and by the bottom, side and end walls of the receptacle. It is to be understood, of course, that the angles between the bottom 27 and. the end and side walls of the insert can be of any desired sizes to effect the desired inclination of the side and end walls thereof. The construction of the bottom of the receptacle 11, as well as the entire insert, and the engagement of the insert with the receptacle is such that the passageway 36 communicates not only with the exterior of the receptacle through the

apertures

19, 21 and 22 of the bottom, but also communicates with the interior of the insert through the slotted walls thereof. Thus, ventila tion for the pack is amply afforded in the container of my invention, for, in addition to providing for the admission of air into the container at the base of the pack through the apertures 19 and slots 28, admission of air at the top of the pack through the longitudinally extending apertures in the sides of the receptacle 11 adjacent to the lid 23, I also provide for continuous circulation of air about the pack by means of the interior passageway 36 which communicates with the

apertures

19, 21 and 22 of the receptacle and

slots

30 and 32 of the insert.

A packing container constructed in accordance .with the foregoing specification not only affords ample ventilation for the pack, thereby insuring preservation of the fruit in its natural condition during the entire shipment. thereof, but also affords complete protection from bruising of the pack and provides a container which can be in expensively manufactured and which is sufficient- 1y rugged to withstand severe handling.

While I have shown the preferred embodiments of my invention in the drawings, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the embodiment illustrated as my invention, as defined by the appended claims, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

I claim:

1. A packing container for use in shipping fresh fruits comprising a receptacle including a lid, a bottom having a plurality of apertures therein, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls joining and projecting above said side walls; said lid together with said side walls forming apertures for the passage of air currents, and an insert engaging said bottom, said side walls and said end walls; said insert including a pair of inclined slotted ends and a pair of inclined slotted sides to provide, in conjunction with said receptacle, a continuous passageway within said container communicating with the exterior thereof through the apertures in said bottom and with the interior of the insert through said slotted ends and said slotted sides whereby said fruit is subjected to circulating air, said insert also including extensions on said inclined ends each of which is foldable upon itself so as to overlie a portion of the receptacle adjacent an end wall to protect the contents of the container from being crushed against an end wall upon fitting a lid to the receptacle.

2. A container for use in shipping grapes or the like comprising a receptacle having a lid, a pair of ends, an apertured bottom and side walls; said lid together with said side walls forming apertures for the passage of air currents, means for carrying the grapes, said means engaging the inner faces of the walls, ends and bottom of the receptacle, a passageway within said receptacle substantially bounded by said means and by the ends, walls and bottom of the receptacle; said passageway communicating with the exterior of the receptacle through said apertured bottom and communicating also with the interior of said means, and extensions on said means projecting from the ends of the receptacle and adapted to be folded to keep the grapes out of contact with said ends when the lid is fastened upon the receptacle. 7

. 3. A packing container for use in transporting fresh fruits such as grapes and the like comprising an apertured bottom, a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls; said end walls projecting above said side walls, a lid; said lid'together with said side walls forming apertures adjacent the top of the container for the passage of air currents, and a fruit carrier engaging the interior surfaces of the end walls, bottom and side walls of the container, said carrier comprising a single sheet of material adapted to be folded upon itself to form a receptacle including an apertured base, a pair of apertured side walls and a pair of apertured end walls; said walls being inclined and cooperating with the walls of the container to provide an unobstructed, closed passageway within and about the container which communicates with the exterior thereof through said apertured bottom as well as with the interior of the carrier through the apertured end and side walls thereof whereby air currents can freely circulate over and around the contents of the carrier; said end walls of said carrier projecting above the walls of the container and adapted to be folded over the 1455 contents of the carrier to prevent crushing of the contents thereof upon fastening the lid to the container.

MOSES P. MOSESIAN.