US2574303A - Foldable case, box, or container - Google Patents

Description

1951 M. VAN CAPPELLEN FOLDABLE CASE, BOX, OR CONTAINER 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed July 16, 1947 INVEVTOR Z2116):

BY Ami/@541 M. VAN CAPPELLEN FOLDABLE CASE, BOX, OR CONTAINER Nov. 6, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 16, 1947 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 Ui'i'ED STATES PATENT orFlcE Application July 16, 1947, Serial No. 761,325 In the Netherlands April 12, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires April 12, 1966 2 Claims.

Foldable cases, boxes or such like containers composed of walls, bottom and if desired a lid which are hinged together, are already known in a great variety of constructions.

The invention provides a novel construction which when opened out is very strong and which when collapsed occupies little space, the case or box being easy to handle when opened out for use.

According to the invention the case, box or the like comprises a frame to which the end walls have been foldably secured in such a manner that when in the unfolded position they are perpendicular to the frame, a longitudinal wall being pivoted to either of the longitudinal sides of the frame, and to the free end of which longitudinal wall the bottom is hinged, with the bottom in its turn being hinged to the other longitudinal wall of the case, box or container, the end walls forming or comprising a groove adapted to receive the unfolded bottom and longitudinal walls.

Such a construction has the advantage that the end-walls after being unfolded are kept in.

which receives the unfolded longitudinal walls and the bottom so that they cannot sag down.

At the upperside the longitudinal walls and as a result the bottom are arranged to be locked in their relative positions by a lid hinged to the frame. When the lid is closed and fastened, its

front edge engages against the inside of the upper part of the front longitudinal wall to prevent inward swinging of the latter.

In the folded position the frame protects the walls from damage.

In order to obtain the space necessary for housing the folded longitudinal or front and rear walls and the bottom wall it is preferab1e-especial1y when using somewhat thicker material--to construct the hinge connection of the first or rear longitudinal wall to the frame in such a manner that the end of said longitudinal wall secured thereto may move in vertical direction when folding the case. A suitable construction of said hinge connection is obtained by providing three hinge shafts, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The end-walls are preferably so mounted to the frame that the corresponding transversely extending parts of said frame extend beyond these 2 end-walls, whereby handles are formed in a simple manner, which handles greatly facilitate the handling of the case.

The invention is illustrated hereinafter with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a case partly broken away and constructed according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a transverse sectional view of the case of Fig. l with the front longitudinal wall and bottom wall partly folded,

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation with the longitudinal walls and bottom wall entirely folded and v with the end walls partly folded,

Fig. 4 shows the hinge connection of the first or rear longitudinal wall when said wall is in its operative or unfolded position and Fig. 5 shows this hinge connection in the position attained when the longitudinal wall and bottom wall are collapsed or folded.

The case which may be used for example for dispatching laundry consists of a substantialy rectangular frame I preferably formed of light metal tubing to which lugs 2 and 3 are fastened. The lug 2 is slightly longer than the lug 3. An end-wall 4 is pivotally connected to the lug 2 and an end-wall 5 to the lug 3. The end-walls each consist of a frame of light metal tubes having a plywood or other suitably rigid panel l4 fastened to the outer surface thereof. Each end wall frame includes a pair of parallel uprights, pivoted at their upper ends to the related lugs 2 or 3, and a transverse connecting member extending between the lower parts of the uprights so that the uprights and transverse connecting member define a retaining rim at the inside of the related end wall panel 14.

The lid 6 is secured to the frame by means of the hinges I. A hinge connection, best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided for hingedly connecting the longitudinal wall 9, that is, the rear wall, to the frame. The bottom wall II is secured to said longitudinal wall 9 by means of hinges l0, and the bottom wall in its turn carries the longitudinal wall I3, that is, the front wall, by means of hinges I2. A conventional clip l5 swingable on the front of the frame I for locking the lid 6 is also shown. When folding the case the front longitudinal wall l3 (see Fig. 2) is first turned inwardly and next turned upwardly together with the bottom wall ll, whereupon the rear wall 9 together with the front wall l3 and the bottom wall H are turned upwardly around the hinge connection to the frame.

The situation thus reached is shown in Fig. 3. Next the end-wall 5 is first turned inwardly and thereupon the end-wall 4, the latter coming to rest against the outer side of the end-wall 5 owing to the lugs 2 being longer than the lugs 3.

If the hinge connection of the wall 9 to the frame would not have been constructed in a partioular manner, closing the lid 6 after collapsing the box might present difficulties. To prevent this a hinge having two hinge shafts, is used, which construction is shown in the Figures 4 and 5.

To the frame I a ring 8 is secured. Said ring changes into a hinge strap 16 at the end of which there is a hinge H which again passes into a hinge strap 18. At the upper end of the strap [8 the hinge I 9 with the hin e-strap 20 is provided, to which last-mentioned strap the rear longitudinal wall 9 is secured.

When collapsing the longitudinal walls and the bottom this hinge construction on the one hand admits of laterally giving way and on the other hand it causes the walls 9 and 13 with the bottom I! to be depressed when folded together so that they do not extend above the frame I, which would prevent the lid 6 from being closed.

When the rear and front longitudinal walls 9 and l 3 and the bottom wall 5 l are in their open positions (Fig. 1), the uprights and transverse connecting members of the end wall frames engagev outside of the end edge portions of the walls 9, H and 3 to limit the unfolding movement of the latter. Further, the front or free edge of the hinged lid 6 engages in back of the upper portion of the front wall when the latter is unfolded and the lid is closed so that the closed lid prevents rearward swinging of the front wall [3 from its open position. The clip 55, shown in released position in Figs. 1 and 2, is swingable clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 from that released position to a position overlying the front of the lid '6 and the top edge of the front wall l3 to thereby resist upward movement of the latter and opening of the lid. The frictional resistance to swinging movement of the clip l5 may be relied upon for maintaining the clip in lid closing position (not shown), or a padlock (not shown) may be associated with the lid 6 and clip [5 to provide a more secure closing.

Owing to the transverse sides of the frame I extending beyond the end-walls 14, two handles are formed by means of which the case can easily be handled.

When the case is collapsed the frame I protects the walls surrounded by it from damage.

I claim:

1. A foldable box comprising a rectangular frame member, a pair of end walls pivotally connected to respective opposite ends of said frame in a manner to be unfolded from positions parallel to said frame to positions perpendicular to the frame and opposite to each other, an articulated side and bottom wall member consisting of a side wall section pivotally connected to a bottom wall section that is in turn pivotally connected to an opposite side wall section, said articulated member being pivotally connected to one side of said frame intermediate the frame ends to which said box end walls are connected in such manner that the articulated member may be unfolded from a position parallel to said frame to a position forming opposite side walls and a bottom wall intermediate the unfolded positions of said end walls.

2. A foldable box comprising a rectangular frame, a pair of end walls pivotally connected to respective opposite ends of said frame in a manner to be unfolded from positions parallel to said frame to positions perpendicular to the frame and opposite to each other, each of said end walls consisting of a framework having a pair of uprights and a transverse member connecting the lower end portions thereof which, when the related end wall is unfolded, respectively define the opposite side edges and the bottom edge of the box outline at the related end of said frame member, and a wall panel attached to the outer surface of said framework with the framework within the box outline, an articulated side and bottom wall member consisting of a side wall section pivotally connected to a bottom wall section that is in tiun pivotally connected to an opposite side wall section, said articulated member being pivotally connected to one side of said frame intermediate the frame ends to which said box end walls are connected in such manner that the articulated member may be unfolded from a position parallel to said frame to a position forming opposite side walls and a bottom wall intermediate the unfolded positions. of said end walls, with the edge surfaces of said side walls and bottom wall abutting the uprights and transverse member of the framework of said end walls within the box outline.

MARIUS VAN CAPPELLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,226,906 Neumerkel May 22, 1917 1,365,200 Shaw Jan. 11, 1921 1,663,649 Elkins Mar. 27, 1928 2,166,941 Corbin July 25, 1939 2,424,665 Pope July 29, 1947 2,456,419 Jackson Dec. 14, 1948

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