US1953624A - Fastener for loose covers for fruit baskets and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1934. F, v. McNIVEN 1,953,624

FASTENER FOR LOOSE COVERS FOR FRUIT BASKETS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 11, 1932 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 OFFIE FASTENER FOR LOOSE COVERS FOR FRUIT BASKETS AND THE LIKE Florence Victoria. McNivcn, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application August 11, 1932, Serial No. 628,393

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in fasteners for loose covers for fruit baskets and the like, and the object of the invention is to devise a simple, cheap device whereby basket covers such as are used in fruit baskets may be quickly and easily secured in position without injury to the fruit or other contents of the basket, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fruit basket showing my fasteners applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing a portion of the upper edge of a fruit basket body and a portion of the fruit basket cover applied thereto and my fastener for connecting the parts together.

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the fastener.

Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative construction of fastener showing it applied to a bushel hamper.

In the drawing like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3.

1 indicates the body of an ordinary fruit basket provided with the usual upper edge band 2 and slatted cover 3. The cover is loosely held upon the top of the basket and is usually secured by some form of cleat which is hammered into engagement with the cover and basket and, therefore, tends to injure the fruit or other contents of the basket.

In order to avoid this I have devised the following form of fastener.

4 is an angular member formed of resilient wire, the arms M and M of which extend respectively against the outer face of the basket body and the top face of the cover. Where the slatted cover is used such as illustrated in Fig. l, the hook member 5 formed at the extremity of the arm 4 extends between the slats, the inturned end 6 of the hook, extending beneath the slat and its extremity which is upturned in a slightly angular direction as indicated at 7, engages the lower face of the slat so that when the arm M is forced resiliently from angular towards a vertical position the end '7 is forced into biting engagement with the lower face of the slat and as the arms M are brought to said vertical position the hooked end 8 thereof is carried beneath the edge band 2 so that when the arm 4 is released and it resiliently springs back towards its normal position, the angularly turned extremity 8 of the hook is carried between the edge band 2 and the wall of the basket thereby securing the parts together.

In order to release the fastener, all it is necessary to do is to force the arm M from the position shown in Fig. 2 towards a vertical position in which position the up-turned end 8 of the hook is carried beneath the band so as to clear the same and allow of the arm 4 being drawn outward out of engagement and the whole fastener lifted so as to release the hook 5 from the slat of the cover.

In a bushel hamper where the slats extend at right angles or transversely of the basket instead of longitudinally as in the form of basket shown in Fig. 1, I employ a modified form of fastener. In this form the arm l of the fastener is downturned as indicated at 9 so as to extend over the upper edge of the bottom band of the cover. The portion 9 is then turned upward as indicated at 9 in an inclined direction, the extremity of the portion 9 being up-turned at 9 so as to engage the lower face of the slat. The other arm of the fastener corresponding to the arm M of Figs. 1 and 2 is similarly constructed to the fastener illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 but engages the upper edge ring of the basket.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple form. of fastener which may be readily and quickly placed in position to fasten the basket cover securely, and which may be placed and secured in such position without any hammering or other action which would tend to injure the fruit or other contents of the basket, and which may be applied or removed without damage to the cover or container for inspection purposes, at the same time providing a device which will be light and neat in appearance, which takes the least possible time to apply or remove, which is not liable to become loose or spring out of engagement, and which has no sharp points liable to injure the hands when applying the same to a basket or other container.

What I claim as my invention is:

A fastener formed from a single wire for loose fruit. basket covers comprising a wire portion extending transversely of the cover, extensions extending from each end of such wire portion at an angle thereto, and fingers formed integral with such extensions and engaged by the torsion of the transverse portion respectively with the exterior of the basket body and the inner face of the cover.

FLORENCE VICTORIA MCNIVEN.

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