US2393514A - Wallboard package and holder - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 22, 1946.

A. a. BIC KNELL" WALLBOARD PACKAGE AND HOLDER Filed Oct. 7, 1942 Patented Jan. 22, 1946 WALLBOARD PACKAGE AND HOLDER Alfred Bertram Bicknell, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application October 7, 1942, Serial No. 461,175 In Canada May 28, 1942 7 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of plaster or wallboard elements and particularly to packages formed by means securable about the ends of two or more such elements to facilitate handling the same as a unitary bundle.

The invention contemplates the use of packaging clips which can be expeditiously secured to the ends of a bundle comprising two or more board elements to hold the latter elements in position as a unit during shipment and other handling periods, and which can be quickly removed from the bundle when the elements of the latter are to be used. The clips are so formed that they can be secured and removed without lacerating or damaging the fragile surfaces of 'the two elements comprising the outermost elethe previously used clips even though the latter.

required much more material in their manufacture and were definitely more expensive there'- because. Accordingly, the invention hereafter described and claimed is directed to the production of bundling clips made from spring wire of any desired crosssection. It has been found that such wire clips are highly satisfactory in use and may be produced at a much lower cost than degree angle therewith; This particular formation results in the clip when placed over the ends of boards as shown in the drawing, gripping the outside boards extremely tenaciously and holding the boards in packaged position. It will be understood that the spring wire may be of either circular or other cross section.

In Fig. 3 the bent ends of the clip have been offset by further bending as at 5 and iii to pro-- duce a very definite gripping of the clip with the outermost faces of the outer boards of a bundle.

Fig. 4 illustrates a clip similar to that shown in Fig.2 but wherein the prongs l3 and H are slightly longer and where a definite kink or bend Illa has been imparted to the longer or central portion of the clip. These changes result in a reduction in the opening dimension or the clip and produce a tighter grip on the bundle ends, by reason of which the clips do not loosen when the bundles are handled The kink at the back or on the intermediate portion of the clip also serves to prevent the clip from being turned overor inverted in its longer dimension when the clips are pulled over the bundle. This kink, moreover, serves to divide tension over three bends, whereas there are only two tension-absor-bing bends in the clip shown in Fig. 2.

In forming a package wherein the boards are held together by any of the above described 30 clips, one of two methods or a combination therehas heretofore been possible with other devices used for the same purpose. Not only does a real commercial advantage arise from the saving in material and cost, but there is also an advantage in the ease of production made possible by the use of wire. Finally, it is now found that wire clips can be more easily secured in packaging position.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an eievational perspective view of a package of boards held in bundled form by wire clips secured around the ends thereof;

Fig. 2 illustrates the clip used in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of clip who used in the same position; and I Fig. 4 shows another clip for similar use.

of may be followed. Either the ends of the elements or boards comprising a bundle maybe subjected to a compacting force as the spring wire Y clip is placed 'over the ends of the package or The natural resiliency of spring wire is utilized the clip may be utilized. Any one of these procedures results in the boards being held under some compression and this, in turn, roduces a frictional engagement [between the flat surfaces of adjacent boards which firmly secures them in packaged position during'handling and shipment.

The term seatingly in the claims defines the manner in which the clip arms, particularly the outer tips thereof, engage the faces of the top and bottom boards of the plasterboard bundle. Inasmuch as the gripping arms are substantially parallel to the board faces, the tips or ends of the arms do not pierce or make a hole in the board covering sheets. On the contrary, the pressure exerted by these arms when the clip is placed in position slightly crushes the plaster thereunder without, however, piercing or making a damaging hole inv the cover of the board.

However, the cover is pushed down slightly into the crushed plaster, thereby producing a pocket in which the clip arm is cradled. Although the clip arms thereby grip the outside boards extremely tenaciously to hold them in package posltion, the fragile surface of the outermost elements of the package are not unacceptably damaged.

It is not intended that the description heretofore given of, the invention and/or the showing thereof set forth in the drawing is limiting in any respect of the monopoly claimed by applicant. It is on the contrary intended that all claims hereinafter allowed, whether made initially or to be added (assuming that they are properly supportable by the drawing and/or specification and/or claims originally made herein), shall be the measure of the. scope of the invention herein set forth. I

I claim:

1. The combination with a stack of superimposed flat panels in face-to-face relation of a clip comprising a long narrow ,u-shaped spring wire element, the arms of which are substantially parallel to and embrace the outer panels of the stack and the ends of said arms terminating abruptly to provide narrow tips which seatingly engage the outer faces of the outermost panels. the tips of the arms being normally closer together than the junctions of the arms with the medial portion ofthe element, whereby when applied to a stack only the narrow tips of the arms are in pressure-exerting seating relation to the panels of the stack.

2. The combination with a plurality of stacked plasterboard panels placed together in race-iiace relation, of a clip comprising a long narrow U-shaped spring wire element, the arms of which are substantially parallel to and embrace the outer panels of the stack and the ends or said arms terminating abruptly in narrow tips which seatlngly engage the outer faces of the outermost panels, the tips of the arms bein normally closer together than the junctions of the arms witirthe medial portion 0! the element, whereby only the narrow tips or the arms are in pressureexerting seating relation to the panels 0! the stack, the central portion of the medial portion being offset outwardly with, respect to a line through said junctions whereby the distance between said Junctions is increased as the arms are spread apart and whereby a tool may be readily inserted between the medial portion and the edges of the panels to facilitate removal of the clip.

3. The combination with a plurality of stacked plasterboard panels placed together in face-toface relation of a clip comprising along narrow U-shaped spring wire element, the arms of which are substantially parallel to and embrace the outer panels of the stack and the ends or said arms being cut off squarely to provide narrow tips which seatingly engage the outer faces 01' normally closer together than the junctions of the arms with the medial portion of the element, whereby only the narrow tips 01' the arms are in pressure-exerting seating relation to the panels of the stack, the central portion of the medial portion being oflset with respect to a line through said junctions whereby the distance between said junctions is increased as the arms are spread apart.

4. The combination with a stack of superimposed fiat panels in iace-to-iace relation oi a clip comprising a long narrow U-shaped spring wire element, the arms of which are substantially parallel to and embrace the outer panels of the stack and the ends or said arms terminating abruptly to provide narrow tips which seatingly engage the outer faces of the outermost panels, the tip portions of said arms being disposed at an angle to remainder of said arms and said tips being normally closer together than the Junctions of the arms with the medial portion of the element, whereby when applied to a stack only the narrow tip portions or said arms being disposed at an angle to remainder of said arms and said tips are in pressure-exerting seating relation to the panels of the stack,

,5. The combination with a stack 0! superimposed flat panels in face-to-tace relationship of a clip comprising a single piece of resilient spring wire having a cross section substantially equal in two directions at right angles to each other and comprising a medial bridging section and two arms integral therewith and extending respectlv'ely from each of the ends of said medial section at angles of less than 90 degrees, said arms terminating abruptly thereby providing retention-means which seatingly engage the surfaces of the outermost panels and penetrate slightly into said surfaces.

6. The combination with a stack of superimposed plasterboard panels in face-to-face relationship oi. a clip comprising a single piece of resilient spring wire having a substantially circular cross section and comprising a medial bridging section and two coplanar arms integral therewith and extending respectively from each of the ends to said medial section normally at angles of less than 90 degrees, said arms being shorter than the medial section and cut of! squarely at their ends to provide retention-means which sent. ingly engage and penetrate slightly into the surfaces of the outermost panels of the stack.

7. The combination with a stack of superim- 1 posed plasterboard panels in face to face relationship of a clip comprising a single piece of round resilient wire bent into the form of a wide U, whose medial section is at least twice as great as the arms thereof, and the interior angle made by the arms and the medial section being normally less than 90 degrees, the ends of the wire terminating abruptly, thereby providing retentio'n-means which engage the outer surfaces of such stack oi plasterboard in a. seatingly engagethis manner thereby preventing the slipping of I, said clip but permitting its ready removal by the outermost panels, the tips of the arms being pressure exerted at right M18185 to the medial section.

ALFRED BERTRAM BlCKNELL.

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