US2413874A

US2413874A - Convertible packing box

Info

Publication number: US2413874A
Application number: US506244A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles K Keath
Original assignee: FRICK GALLAGHER Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: FRICK GALLAGHER Manufacturing Co; FRICK-GALLAGHER MANUFACTURING Co
Priority date: 1943-10-14
Filing date: 1943-10-14
Publication date: 1947-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1964-01-07

Description

Jam' 7, 1947. I c. K. KEATH CONVERTIBLE PACKING BOX 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1943 Jan. 7, 1947. c, KEATH 2,413,874

CONVERTIBLE PACKING BOX Filed Oct. 1-4, 194:5 ZSheetS-Sheet 2 5 4 INVENTOR. E

l B 7 8 L093 4 Patented Jan. 7, 1947 CONVERTIBLE PACKIN G BOX Charles K. Keath, Lititz, Pa, assignor to Frick- Gallagher Manufacturing Company, Wellston, Ohio, a partnership consisting of J. P. Gallagher, Allen J. Frick, anclPaul H. Frick Application October 14, 1943, Serial No. 506,244

2 Claims.

This invention relates to packing boxes or shipping cases intended to be useful, when closed, as a medium for safely and securely transporting various articles or commodities from point to point, and, which, when opened at a temporary point or destination, may be laid on its side to have its cover removed and positioned in the box to function as the shelf of a service cabinet for dispensing the articles in classified order; then when transportation is to be resumed, the cover may be withdrawn from the box and replaced as a closure.

A primary object is to provide a box which is re-usable over and over, without special prepa-' ration, that is, Without cutting or fitting any of the parts to render the box ready for dispensing at the end of each journey. That is to say, the invention contemplates a box having a cover which when placed within the same serves as a shelf and together with the walls of the box, maybe compartmented, if desired, by the use of partitions to sub-divide the interior space into individual bins.

A further object is to provide a convertible packing box and shelving which is strong, durable, and readily stacked during shipment so as to occupy a minimum of storage space and whose outer reinforcement interlocks with the reinforcement of an adjacent box so that shifting with the motion of the vehicle or ship is prevented.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical arrangement of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the packing box or case in its closed condition ready for shipment.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box set up for use as a cabinet with the cover inserted in the box to provide a shelf and also showing the partitions which cooperate therewith.

Figure 3 is a detail exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of the end walls.

Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views respectively showing the inner face of one of the end walls with the cover in closure position and also with the box laid on its side and the cover inserted as a shelf.

Figurefi is a longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 'l'! of Figure 4.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings it will be observed that the box includes a bottom wall A, opposite side walls BB, a cover C and the end walls D.

The end walls D are set Within the end planes of the bottom Wall A and. the side Walls BB and are of novel construction from the standpoint of reinforcement, as Well as providing not only a seat or recess for the cover in cooperation with the side walls BZ, but to also provide grooves or guideways for receiving the cover C when removed from its normal position as a closure member so that it may act or serve as a shelf.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that the end walls D are of composite construction, including, an outer panel dand an interior reinforcing frame and guideway forming member. This frame includes the opposite side rails |-l, whose upper ends are rabbeted as indicated at la, and an intermediate top rail 2 whose inner ends abut the inner faces of the side members and which is also rabbeted along one edge as indicated at 212 and provided with an intermediate transverse notch 3. The rabbeted portions Ia. and 2a are alined so that the transverse faces of the rabbet provide a continuous shoulder or seat S against which the inner ends of the cover C may rest. The side rails ll are provided between their lower ends with a bottom rail 4 which is transversely notched in one face as indicated at 4a, While the top rail 2 and bottom rail 4 have their inwardly facing sides abutting the opposite ends of a channel member 5. This channel member has a central groove which alines with the notches 3 and 4a to provide a guideway G for receiving the cover C when the same is removed as a closure and inserted in the box as a shelf, as shown in Figure 2. The frame elements. I, 2, 4 and 5 are secured to the inner face of the panel d by screws, nails, or other appropriate fastenings.

In the above described arrangement it will be observed that the upper edges of the side walls B and end walls D are co-planar and together with the shoulder S provide in effect a cover receiving recess for flushly supporting and receiving the cover C.

In connection with the cover C it will be observed that the battens 10 have their ends terminating in the planes of the opposite sides of the cover so that when the cover is seated on the shoulder S the ends of the battens If] on the cover will lie within the projected ends of the battens 10 on the side walls B.

As will be apparent from the drawings, the box or crate may be fabricated from board lengths of appropriate dimensions and that their inner meeting edges are preferably of the tongue and groove type. In connection with the end walls D Whose outer panel d is of the construction just described, it will be observed thatthe interior reinforcing frame has its side rails 1 and the channel member crossing the joints between the boards which make up the panel. Further, in connection with the frames at the inner sides of the panels 11, it will be observed that the top and bottom rails 2 and i, as well as the channel member 5, are not completely severed by the notches 3 and 4a nor by the groove which constitutes the major portion of the guideway G, and, which, of course, includes the notches referred to. Thus, the interior frame is of maximum strength.

The cover C is preferably of uniform depth or thickness and, of course, is co-extensive in length and width with the recess defined by the side and end walls, as above referred to. As shown in the drawing the cover C may be provided on its opposite face with a plurality of partition-receiving grooves 6 intended to lie opposite companion grooves f on the-inner faces of the side walls B--B, thereby to receive partition elements 8 to sub-dividethe interior of the box into compartments.

The box is also preferably provided on'its outer side with reinforcing battens it! which are spaced inwardly from the Outer ends of each side wall, but are disalined transversely with respect to the box so that the boxes may be stacked without registration of the reinforcing'battens producing unnecessary space between the boxes when stacked. Moreover, this disalinement or offsetting of the battens l8 serves to interlock the boxes when stacked in such a way that they will not shift in transit either due to the movement of a vehicle or roll of a vessel.

As previously indicated Figurel shows the box in its closed position with the cover C secured in place by-screws brother-conventional removable fastenings. When the box reaches its destination the cover C may be removed as a unit and the contents of the box removed so that'the cover may be inserted in theguideway G to serve as a shelf. If desired, the partitionsB may be used to provide suitable compartmentation. The contents of the box may be then replaced in classified order and the box in this condition serves as a dispensing cabinet. When it becomes necessary to move the box, thepartitions '8 can be removed and the cover C can be withdrawn from the guideway and replaced in the-coverreceiving recess. Thus, it will be "apparent that the cover is in no way mutilated in any way in serving as a shelf. The arrangement has the advantage that the cover is always kept with the box, either when it is closed or when it is open and the cover serves as a shelf.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a box which has utility not only as a packing or shipping case but also as a dispensing cabinet. The features described are particularly useful in connection with military or naval expeditions from the standpoint of permitting the contents of the box to be readily shipped and then opened up for use at a temporary base and when the base moves the box can again be closed by simply pulling the cover from'its position as a shelf and replacing it as a closure member.

Without further description it is thought that the features and. advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and it will, of course, be understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A box having utility as a shipping case or dispensing cabinet, comprising, side, bottom and end walls, said end walls each having a pair of rectangular reinforcing frames consisting of side, top and bottom rails and an intermediate channel member secured to the inner face thereof, the said'top rails having an inset shoulder'to provide a countersunk cover recess in cooperation with said side walls, a cover adapted to fit in said-recess to close the box, and, when removed adapted for insertion in said channel member to provide a shelf.

2. A box re-usable as a shipping case-and dispensing cabinet, comprising, side, bottom, and end walls, said side and end walls being co-planar at the open sideof the box and said end walls each including an outer panel and an'inner reinforcing frame work, said'frame work'comprising, opposite side rails whose outer edges abut the inner faces of the side walls, abottom rail having its lower face engaging the. inner face of the bottom walland having its opposite ends abutting the inner faces of said side rails, said bottom rail havinga transverse notch, a top rail also having a transverse notch and having its opposite ends disposed in abutting relation to the inner faces of the upper ends of the side rails, an intermediate channel member having its groove alined with the-notches in the top and bottom rails to provide a guideway and having its opposite ends abutting the inwardly facing side portions of said top-and bottom rails, said top rail and the upperends of th side rails beingrabbeted to provide a continuous inset shoulder, and a cover adapted, when in closure position, to fit within the side walls and therabbeted portions of the end walls and supported by the shoulders thereof, and when removed and inserted in the guideways serving as a shelf.

CHARLES K. KEATH.