US2298452A - Centrally reinforced single compartment citrus box - Google Patents

Description

E: c. BARKER Oct. 13, 1942. I CENTRALLIY REINFORCED SINGLE COMPABTMENT CITRUS BOX Filed Nov. 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

firizeeCficzr/zer BY A'ITORNEY6 Oct. 13, 1942. E. c. BARKE-R ENT Filed Nov. 2'7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13, 1942. E. c. BARKER 2,298,452

CENTRALLY REINFORCED SINGLE COMPARTMENT CITRUS BOX Filed Nov. 27, 1959 s sneets-sheet :5

Patented Oct. 13, 1942 'CENTRALLY REINFORCED SINGLE COIVEPARTMENT CITRUS BOX Ernest C. Barker, Oak Park, 111., assignor to The Gerrard Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 27, 1939, Serial No. 366,259

5 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for fastening a reinforcing wire about the center of an elongated citrus box.

While the invention is especially applicable to light weight slat boxes of the type commonly used in the packaging of citrus fruits, it is of course equally applicable to other boxes of the same general type used in the packaging of other commodities.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, and two modifications thereof, are presented herein for the purpose of exemplifi-cation, but it will of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in still other structurally modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a box equipped with the wire fastening means of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box, at the location of the wire fastening clip;

Fig. 3 is a side View of the box;

Fig. 4 is another side view of the box, showing the opposite side;

Fig. 5 is a top View of the box;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the box;

Fig. 7 is a face view of the clip;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the clip;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the clip;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views corresponding to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, showing a modification of the and Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are similar views, showing still another modification of the clip.

The box shown in the drawings is made of wood, is quite light in weight, contains but a single compartment, with no center partition, and is approximately twice as long as it is wide or high. The box is characterized by a bottom it, two sides ll, two ends [2 and a top [3.

Each of the ends [2 consists of four head sticks l4 and a thin end panel l5. The head sticks 14 are connected together at their ends, and the end panel I5 is fastened to the head sticks on the inside of the box. The bottom l9, sides I l and top l2 are substantially identical with each other. Each consists of two thin slats l6 and three thin cleats ll. The slats I 6 are arranged in slightly spaced relation to each other, with a gap [8 between the same, and the cleats I! are stapled to the outer faces of the slats, crosswise of the latter, at their centers and ends. The bottom l0 and sides I I are nailed at their ends to the lower edges and side edges respectively of the ends l2, and, after the box is ready for closing, the top it; is nailed at its ends to the upper edges of the ends i 2, all as illustrated in the drawings.

A wire E9, of sufficient length to encircle the box, is stapled to the center cleat IT at one side of the box, with its ends 21) free, and a metal clip 2! is fastened to the center cleat H at the other side of the box. The clip 2i is characterized by a iiat backing portion 22 which is adapted to lie fiatly against the outer face of the cleat ii, and by two laterally extending tongues 23 which are adapted to be bent inwardly about the side edges of the cleat If in the openings afforded by the gap 18 between the slats. The tongues 23, upon interlocking with the side edges of the cleat ii in lateral abutment with the adjacent edges of the slats i5, anchor the clip firmly in position.

The clip 2! is provided on its outer face with wire engaging formations 24, preferably in the form of upwardly and downwardly projecting outwardly offset tongues 25, to which the free ends 2t of the wire l9 are adapted to be made fast.

After the top I 3 has been placed in position on the box and its ends nailed down, the wire I9 is brought across the top, on the center cleat I1, and both ends 29 of the wire are pulled taut and twisted, preferably one at a time, about the tongues 25 on the clip 2!, thereby strongly reinforcing the box about its center. After the ends 25; of the wire have been secured, the ends of the tongues 25 on the clip may, if desired, be defiected inwardly.

The wire is, instead of being stapled to the far side of the box, may be stapled to the bottom, or may be merely placed about the box without being stapled to the box at any point. When stapled to the far side of the box, the section of the wire which passes under the bottom of the box may advantageously be drawn taut and secured to the clip 2| while the box is still empty, thereby keeping the box from spreading as much as it otherwise might when the fruit or other objects are being packed in.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, the wire engaging formations on the clip consist of two pairs of laterally projecting outwardly offset tongues 26. After the two wire ends 23 have been passed under these tongues the latter may be bent inwardly against the cleat to obtain a firm grip on the wire without any necessity for twisting. If preferred, however, the ends 20 of the wire may be cleated back and forth about the tongues 26.

In the modification shown in Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive the wire engaging formations are long reversely bent tongues 21 which extend first outwardly at 28 at an inclination to the backing portion 29 and then inwardly at 30 at an inclination to points slightly spaced from the backing portion. The tongues 21 are provided in the portions 28 thereof with small holes 3! through which the ends of the wire are adapted to be threaded. After the wire has been passed through these holes and pulled taut, the tongues 21 may be mashed down against the backing portion 29, thereby forming abrupt jogs in the wire at the edges of the holes, which jogs will prevent the wire from working back through the holes. The flattening of the tongues 21 will also result in a toggle action which will place additional tension on the wire.

A citrus box, when constructed and reinforced in this manner, will stand up under rough.

handling, stacking and transportation, without breakage, and without damage to the contents of the box. The interlocking anchorage of the clip on the box permits either end of the wire to be drawn taut and fastened while the other end is still free, without any likelihood of unbalanced forces on the clip dislodging the same. If the wire has not been sealed in its twisted position for some special purpose, the section of the wire passing over the top of the box may be readily removed and replaced to permit of interstate inspections during transportation. While no center partition is required to give the box sufficient strength, such a partition can of course be added. Additional reinforcing wires, about the ends of the box, may also be employed if desired, with additional clips for fastening the same, but ordinarily a single center wire, with but one clip for the same will be adequate.

The word citrus as used in the foregoing description and following claims, is not intended to limit the invention to a box used only for citrus fruits but rather to a box of the type ordinarily used for citrus fruits.

I claim:

1. In a centrally reinforced single compartment citrus box of the type which is approximately twice as long as it is wide or high, box sides composed of spaced slats with cleats secured to the outer faces of the slats crosswise of the latter at the center and ends, a wire stapled to the center cleat on one of the sides of the box and provided with free ends which are long enough to encircle the box in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip on the other side of the box provided with anchoring tongues which are bent around the side edges of the center cleat on that side of the box in the gap between the spaced slats, said clip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of the ends of the wire may be separately secured.

2. In a citrus box, box sides composed of spaced slats with cleats secured to the outer faces of the slats crosswise of the latter at the center and ends, a wire stapled to the center cleat on one of the sides of the box and provided with free ends which are long enough to encircle the box.

in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip at the other side of the box provided with integrally formed anchoring means in engagement with the side edges of the center cleat on that side of the box in the gap between the spaced slats, said clip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of the ends of the wire may be secured.

3. In a citrus box, box sides composed of slats with cleats secured to the outer faces of the slats crosswise of the latter at the center, a wire stapled to the center cleat on one of the sides of the box and provided with free ends which are long enough to encircle the box in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip at the other side of the box provided with integrally formed anchoring portions in engagement with the side edges of the center cleat on that side of the box, said clip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of the ends of the wire may be secured.

4. In a citrus box, box sides composed of slats with cleats secured to the slats crosswise of the latter, a wire stapled to a cleat on one of the sides of the box and provided with free ends which are long enough to encircle the box in line with said cleat, and a wire attaching clip at the other side of the box provided with integrally formed anchoring portions in engagement with the side edges of a cleat on that side of the box, said clip being provided with wire securing formations to which both of the ends of the wire may be secured.

5. A citrus box in which one of the sides is composed of spaced slats with a cleat connecting the slats in a position crosswise of the latter, and a wire attaching clip provided with portions which are hooked about the cleat at the location of the gap between the slats, said clip having wire securing formations to which both ends of a wire encircling the box are adapted to be separately secured.

ERNEST C. BARKER.

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