US2293516A - Bottle crate - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1942. D. J. McCLARY 2,293,516

BOTTLE .CRATE Filed Jan. 6, 1941 9 J Ji Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CRATE Application January 6, 1941, Serial No. 373,333

1 Claim.

This invention relates to crates designed for the storage and transportation of bottles, and particularly of bottles of the smaller sizes, such as pint bottles and cream bottles.

The use of twisted flat stock or ribbon separators in such crates is desirable to save space, but such separators have very little lateral stiffness and permit the bottles to shift about, particularly when the crate is not entirely filled.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved construction in bottle crates by which such flat stock or ribbon separators will be held firmly from lateral displacement.

To the attainment of this general object, I preferably provide spacing bars of flat sheet metal bent to U-shaped cross section and so fashioned as to receive and firmly hold a plurality of such separators from displacement, either laterally or vertically.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bottle crate embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional side elevation, taken along the line 2--2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional end elevation, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged partial sectional end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional elevation, taken along the line 6-6 in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a bottle crate which is in general of a somewhat usual type and which comprises side walls it and ends ll, firmly secured together by longitudinally extending bottom rods l2 and by upper and lower cross rods l3 and M.

Upper and lower separators l5 and it are preferably formed of flat metal strips or ribbons and have their ends secured by nails or other fastening devices in slots 13 in the ends I l.

The separators l5 and I6 are twisted into successive vertical and horizontal portions, as clearly shown in Fig. l, with the vertical portions It separating the bottles and with the horizontal portions 16 engaging the cross rods 13 and I4 and preferably passing over one cross rod and under the next adjacent cross rod, alternately.

Obviously the fiat strips or ribbons l5 and IS have very little lateral stiffness. As they are secured only at their extreme ends, they readily yield laterally and allow the bottles to be displaced, particularly when the crate is only part ly filled.

In order to reduce or prevent this shifting action, I provide a special spacing member 20, shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. This spacing member 253 is preferably formed from a strip of flat sheet metal, bent to U-shaped cross section as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and adapted to fit between the sides H] of a crate and over one of the upper cross rods l3.

Each spacing member 20 is provided with a plurality of recesses 22, spaced apart to receive the upper separators I6. These separators preferably extend under the tie rod I3 on which the spacing member 20 is applied, so that the assembled parts are held firmly in the fixed relation shown in Figs. 4 to 6.

In assembling the parts, the separators are first inserted and secured, after which a spacing member 20 is placed in position and a cross rod I3 is then inserted and secured.

In crates of usual size, such as the small twenty shown in Fig. 1, a single spacing member 26 is commonly suificient, but obviously two or more spacing members may be used where found desirable, or in crates of larger capacity.

My improved construction, While exceedingly simple, is fully effective for its intended purposes and obviates defects heretofore present in this type of crate which have very seriously interfered with their commercial adoption.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

In a bottle crate having sides, ends, bottom supports and cross rods, in combination, a plurality of substantially parallel bottle separators secured at their ends in said crate and positioned substantially in a single horizontal plane, all of said separators being positioned adjacent and on the same side of one of said cross rods, and a spacing member in the form of an elongated sheet metal trough substantially U-shaped in cross section, said spacing member enclosing and extending laterally beyond said cross rod at each side thereof and having longitudinally separated notches in its rounded and closed edge portion, which notches extend transversely of said trough and beyond said cross rod and separately receive and position said separators between said cross rod and the closed ends of said notches, and said spacing member being thereby efiective to lock said separators to said cross rod in a definite spaced relation and to prevent both vertical and horizontal displacement of said separators.

' DAVID J. MCCLARY.

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