US2621847A

US2621847A - Ventilated container

Info

Publication number: US2621847A
Application number: US23369A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony J Stefanich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-04-26
Filing date: 1948-04-26
Publication date: 1952-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-16

Description

Dec. P5, 1952 J, sTEFANlcH 2,621,847

VENTILATED CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 \MVENTQR ANTHONY d. STEFANICH Dec. 16, 1952 J STEFANlCH 2,621,847

VENTILATED CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 hum Amnow d. S-raFAmcH %W rm TTORNEYS 9 1952 A. J. STEFANICH VENTILATED CONTAINER 3 SheetsSheet 5 Filed April 26, 1948 \NVENTOR ANTHONY d. STEFANICH ATTO RNEXS Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to a combined wood and fibreboard container adapted for the shipment of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishable agricultural products.

Many fruits and vegetables are commonly moved to market in wood containers commonly referred to as lug boxes. Such boxes are conventionally rectangular in shape having wooden ends, sides, and bottoms formed of wood shook nailed to the ends, and wood lids employed to confine produce to the box. Such boxes are subject to certain difficulties which the present invention seeks to overcome. The cost of the boxes frequently exceeds the total profit of the shipper for packing and transporting to market the produce contained therein. The boxes are unnecessarily heavy resulting in unnecessarily large transportation expenses. The thin shook comprising the bottoms, sides, and lids are easily split and broken subjecting the contained produce to damage. The wood tends to absorb moisture and in many instances is responsible for mold and decay of the produce. During transportation of the fruit, vibration is unavoidably transmitted to the boxes and delicate produce contained therein is chafed by frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of the box. To avoid these diificulties it has become a conventional practice to provide paper padding and liners for such boxes. In order to heap produce in the boxes and to retain the same therein above the sides, cardboard side guards are inserted between the sides of the box and the produce and upwardly arched in fruit confining position. Further, padding is overlaid the pro duce for shipment and in cooperation with the side guards maintains the produce in packed position. The liners, side guards, cushions and other aids required in conventional lug boxes constitute needless expenses which further add to the shippers costs. Still further it is essential that fresh fruits and vegetables continue breathing for several days after being harvested. Such breathing is necessary to the preservation of the produce in salable condition and is inefiectively permitted in conventional lug boxes of the type described employing the liner, cushions, side guards and the like. Conventional lug boxes provide cracks between the shook in the sides, bottoms, and lids and ventilation openings through the side guards, but such openings are limited to the interstices between the shock. The cutting of ventilation openings through the shock is expensive and weakens the shook to such extent as to preclude such supplementary venting.

These and other diificulties have long been recognized in fruit and vegetable marketing as evidenced by the many efiorts to solve the problems. The substitution of other materials for the wood in conventional lug boxes has quite generally been productive of difficulties of aggravated nature. For example, the expense frequently has been increased, strength has been sacrificed, and in instances in which efforts have been made to employ cardboard or fibreboard materials in the crate, the resulting crates have been unsuited to stacked arrangement, tending to crush, and have been unsuited to clamp truck operations.

An object of the present invention therefore is to reduce the costs incident to crating and shipping fresh fruits, vegetables, and the like.

Another object is to provide an improved container of the lug box type that is light weight, strong, and adapted for stacking and clamp truck operations.

Another object is to provide a container for the purposes set forth that is easily constructed and economically produced.

Another object is to provide a combined wood and fibreboard container having improved strength and ventilation characteristics.

Another object is to provide an improved lug box minimizing abrasion of produce contained therein during shipping and handling operations.

Another object is to provide a shipping con- 7 tainer having resilient sides and bottom making provision for cushioned support of produce packed therein.

A further object is to provide a shipping con- I tainer in which the sides and bottom thereof, as well as the side guards upwardly extended from the sides, are of a continuous sheet of material.

A still further object is to provide a combined shipping container and pre-packaging cartons housed thereby conducive to more effective ventilation of pre-packaged produce than heretofore known.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded plan view of a container embodying the principles of the present inven- Fig. 2 is a blank of fibreboard material illustrative of the formation of the bottom, sides, and slide guards of the container in continuous rela- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the container shown in Fig. 3 illustrating the provision of a lid therefor as for transporting purposes.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of a plurality of containers of the type shown in Fig. 7 in stacked relation illustrative of ventilation passages formed through the stack.

Fig. 9 is a third form of the present invention having additional ventilative features.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a group of the car-- tons of the type shown in Fig. 9 in stacked relation.

Fig. 11 demonstrates the combined container and prepackaging cartons of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the combined container and prepackaging cartons shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line I3I 3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14- is a fragmentary illustration showing a box end of material other than wood.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings.

In Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6, substantially rectangular, wooden ends for a container of the present: invention are indicated at I 0. As subsequently will become apparent the present invention is not limited to the employment of ends having the common rectangular shape but is well adapted to formation from ends of other geometrical con'figuration providing angularly related edges. The ends are preferably of a thickness and type of wood suited to the reception of nails in the securing of the sides, bottom, and lid, subsequently described. Pinewood ends approximately 3 of an inch thick are suitable. The ends conveniently provide a bottom edge II, oppositely disposed side edges I2 and a top edge l3, in right angular relation.

The bottom and sides of the container are formed from a blank [5 of fibreboard material configuratedas shown in Fig. 2. For purposes of descriptive convenience, the term fibreboard is used to designate pasted chip board, corrugated fibreboard, laminated fibreboard, solidfibreboard and other fibre products such as cardboard, paper board, and the like. The blank is delineated by a pair of substantially parallel end edges I6. For containers of the size of a conventional lug box the blank is approximately 17 /2 inches long. Arcuate convex side edges I'I- interconnect the end edges I6 preferably in attitudes so, that chords drawn between each chords arcuate sides opposite ends are normal to the end edges. For containers of lug box size the overall width of theblank is approximately 28 inches. The area between such chords and said chords respective side edges Il comprise side guards in continuous relation with the side of the container. These side guards are provided with ventilation openings I8. A pair of parallel scores I9 interconnect the end edges I6 and are spaced a distance equal to the width of the bottom edges. of the ends. This distance, for usual lug box size, is 13% inches. Said scores are spaced inwardly from the ends of the side edges ll of the blank a distance substantially equal to the height of the ends I0, normally 5% inches, leaving side guards 1 inches high at their vertex. The measurements given are illustrative only and in no way-limit theinvention to embodiment in the size or relative shape described.

Ventilation openings 20 are formed in the blank in quantity and arrangement desired for the particular produce for which the container is provided. Much of the strength of the container results from the ability of sheets of fibreboard material to withstand even excessive strains imposed edgewardly thereon. The employment of ends of geometrical configuration providing angularly related edges assures the container of a resulting plurality of continuous fibreboard panels resistive to edgewardly imposed forces when a sheet of fibreboard is made to conform to said edges. The scores I9 are for the purpose of facilitating bending of the sheet in the conforming operation. Once formed, the scores delineate crease lines longitudinally of the container that are of major effect in imparting rigidity to the container. Normally, the ventilation openings may be positioned anywhere in the fibreboard sheet, even on a crease line, without weakening the container excessively. When maximum strength is desired, however, the openings are arranged to avoid the crease lines, as shown in Fig. '7.

As shown in Fig. 3 the fibreboard blank I5 interconnects the ends ID in fixed spaced relation by bein nailed as at 22 to the side edges I2 and bottom edges II of the ends II]. For the purpose of more effectively supporting the fibreboard ma terial at the bottom edges of the ends, a cleat 23 is positioned in underlying relation to the fibreboard material and nailed to the ends therethrough. In addition to the strength imparted to the container by bending of the blank I5, as previously discussed, the blank is preferably formed of laminated corrugated fibreboard, of the type shown in Fig. 4, in which the corrugations are endwardly disposed the container.

As shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6 the arcuate edges I! are upwardly extended above the ends to constitute side guards adapted to confine heaped produce in the container. The lid is conveniently formed of a plurality of wooden shakes 21 arched between the ends in superposed relation to the edges IT. The inner surface of the fibreboard blank is preferably coated with a thin film of waterproof and friction reducing wax material such as paraffin, carnauba wax, or other unguent material havin said characteristics. So formed the container provides cushioned support for produce contained therein through the resilience of the corrugated fibreboard, is lighter in weight than lug boxes heretofore found suitable for fruit shipping purposes, possesses strength characteristics surpassing those of conventional wooden lugs in the avoiding of tendencies to split and crack, incorporates ventilation openings at positions advantageously suited to produce requirements, and minimizes chafing and spoiling of the fruit contained therein by the friction reducing and waterproofing characteristics of the unguent material applied to the interior of the box.

Second form As previously suggested the ventilation of fresh produce is of great importance to shipping and storing thereof. In Figs. '7 and 8, a form of the present invention having improved ventilation characteristics is shown. In this second form, the ends III are provided with biased edges 30interconnecting the bottom edges I I and side edges I2 eliminating lower corners of the ends. In this ventilating of the produce in the containers andthe cooling and fumigation thereof rendering material savings in refrigeration time and costs in precooling refrigeration cars and in the time required and costs for fumigating the produce prior to shipment.

Third form A third form of the present invention is directed to further effective ventilation, refrigeration, and fumigation of packed produce. The third form provides ends I having biased edges as described for the second form and in addition, inverted V-shaped notches formed upwardly from the bottom edges H of the ends. The notches are delineated by intersecting angularly

related edges

36 and 31. In the formation of the third form of the present invention the fibreboard blanks I5 is provided with additional parallel score lines 38 and 39 spaced to coincide with the intersections of the

edges

36 and 31 with the bottom edge H and of said

edges

36 and 31 with each other. The fibreboard material is nailed to the side edges l2 and biased edges 36 as previously described, and to the bottom edges II by means of cleats 23, also as previously described. The fibreboard sheet is bent along crease lines endwardly of the container enabling the humping of the fibreboard sheet upwardly into inverted V-shaped notches 35 and the maintenance of said material in intimate engagement with the

edges

36 and 31 by the firm securing of the blank to the bottom edges ll, obviating any need to secure said sheet to the

edges

36 and 37 thus avoiding the inconvenience and expense of securing the same. Ventilation openings are provided in the panels of fibreboard interconnecting the biased edges and in the panels thereof interconnecting the

edges

36 and 31 of the notch 35. In stacked arrangement not only do the panels interconnecting the biased edges form ventilation passages 32 between the sides of the containers near the bottom portions thereof but in addition the panels interconnecting the

edges

36 and 31 form ventilation passages 40 longitudinally of each container, said passages being in communication with the interiors of the containers by way of the openings 26.

Combination of container with prepackaging cartons In Fig. 11, the combination of the first form of the carton of the present invention with prepackaging cartons of substantially uniform size is illustrated. The cartons shown are of a popular form having substantially parallel top panels 5!, bottom panels 52, and downwardly convergent side panels 53 and end panels 54. The cartons employ ventilation openings 55 through the lower portions of the side panels and end panels and further ventilation openings 56 at the intersections of said side and end panels. When the pre-packaging cartons are grouped 6 for shipping purposes they define ventilation passages 51 along the sides thereof and ventilation passages 58 along the ends. In constructing the first form of the containers of the present invention to house the grouped pre-packaging cartons 50, as shown in Fig. 11, the ends ID are spaced a distance a multiple of the over all length of a carton, provided of a width a multiple of the over all width of said carton, and of a height equal to the over all height, or a multiple thereof, of said carton. The fibreboard blank 15 is secured in interconnecting relation between the ends as previously described forming, in continuous relation, a bottom panel interconnecting the bottom edges ll of the ends and side panels interconnecting the side edges l2 of said ends. The ventilation openings 20 are formed to register with the

ventilation passages

51 and 58, a positioning not practical in wooden lugs. This gives a free flow of air through the container between the cartons. A lid 60 somewhat different in form from the lid '25, previously described, is employed to maintain the cartons in the container. The lid 60 includes slats 6i positioned endwardly of the container and in overlying relation to the side edges of the cartons in substantially vertical alignment with the openings 20. The slats are conveniently secured by lid cleats 62 nailed to the top edges of the ends.

Although the ends it for the containers of the present invention have been described as made of wood, it will readily be apparent that the present invention is not limited to such material. The ends l0 obviously should be thick enough to provide adequate bearing surfaces on the mounting edges for the fibreboard bottom and sides, light enough to be practical for handling, cheap enough to be economical, and soft enough to accept the claws of clamp trucks. Said ends are preferably of a material that will receive nails in securing the fibreboard material thereto but not necessarily so, said fibreboard material being adapted for securing to the ends by gluing the same thereto. In Fig. 14 an end 10 configurated as previously described for the ends in is illustrated to show a material, other than wood, suited to the purpose. The end 10 is formed from a relatively thick block of solid fibreboard II, and has surface impregnations 12 of synthetic resin or the like to stiffen the fibreboard block. The impregnations need not be deep as their chief purpose is to give additional rigidity to the block and a strong enough surface for the claws of a hand truck. The solid fibreboard provides sufficient bulk to which to nail the fibreboard bottom and sides.

Operation The operation of the embodiments of the present invention are clearly apparent and briefly reviewed at this point. Fruits, vegetables and the like are packed in the containers in any suitable manner, the containers being adapted for bulk pack as well as the pre-packaging of the produce in cartons. In each pack, the containers of the present invention provide ventilation characteristics superior to that known in convention lug boxes or other shipping containers for produce. After the produce is packed it is maintained in the containers by the employment of a lid 25, or a lid 60, appropriate to the type of pack involved. During shipping, the produce is preserved in a fresh condition by the thorough ventilation thereof and by the waterproof coating inwardly disposed of the container which pre- 7,. eludes the absorption and maintenance of moisture in contact with the produce. The wax coating further serves to reduce chafing incident to jostling and shaking of the containers during handling and shipping. The containers are lighter in weight than those heretofore known and thus shipping costs are reduced. The sides and bottom ofthe container can not crack or split and thus a common cause of a waste of produce incident to lug box failure is obviated. The wooden ends of the containers permit ready stacking thereof to heights commonly employed in refrigeration cars and trucks and higher without collapsing or crushing the containers. The wooden ends adapt the container of the present invention to hand truck operation. The bending of the fibreboard blanks along crease lines endwardly of the container imparts strength characteristic to the improved container not known in conventional lug boxes. As previously noted the produce is cushioned during handling and transporting by the fibreboard sides and bottom. In addition to the numerous operational advantages of the containers of the present invention, perhaps most significant is the reduction of expense over conventional lug boxes resulting in savings for any given quantity of produce packed and shipped equaling what is normally considered a fair profit for the shipper in packing and shipping such a quantity.

What I conceive to be the true scope of my invention is the combination, in a container, of Wooden ents or other suitable material having angularly related edges, adapting the container to hand truck operation and mparting vertical rigidity to the container conducive to the dependable stacking thereof, and of a sheet of fibreboard material intimately conformed to the angularly related edges of the ends and interconnecting the ends in .fiXed spaced relation thereby imparting longitudinal rigidity to the container b bending of the sheet along crease lines longitudinally of said container coincident with the intersections of angularly related edges of the ends.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and structures.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A ventilated container comprising substantially rectangular wooden end members each having a bottom edge, opposite erect side edges, and a top edge; a single sheet of fibreboard material interconnecting the end members and secured to the bottom edges and side edges thereof, said sheet having ventilation openings formed therethrough; lower spacing cleats positioned below the sheet of fibreboard material and nailed to the bottom edges of the end members therethrough; spaced slats interconnecting the top edges of the end members; and upper spacing cleats nailed to the end members through the slats whereby when said container is in stacked relation with similar containers horizontal air passages are defined transversely across the top and across the bottom thereof between the spaced upper cleats and the spaced lower cleats which air passages communicate with the ventilation 8 openings in the fibreboard material and with the spaces between the slats.

2. A ventilated container comprisin a pair of substantially rectangular ends of similar size each having plain parallel surfaces and a bottom edge, a top edge, and side edges all angularly disposed to the plane surfaces of their respective ends, a sheet of corrugated fibreboard material affixed to said bottom and side edges of the ends and interconnecting the same in fixed spaced relation with the corrugations of said sheet endwardly disposed in the container, the ends being of sufficient thickness firmly to support the sheet of corrugated fibreboard material and being of a material soft enough to receive standard nails in securing said fibreboard sheet to the edges of the ends and of a stiffness at least equal to the stiffness of a softwood of the same dimensions, said fibreboard sheet being bent alon creaselines endwardly of the container coincident with the intersections of the bottom and side edges of the container and having ventilation openings formed therethrough along said crease-lines; cleats underlying the sheet and secured to the lower edges of the ends; slats interconnecting the upper edges of the ends and positioned above the ventilation openings formed through the fibreboard sheet; and cleats overlaying the slats and secured to the upper edges of the ends therethrough.

3. A ventilated display package for fresh fruits and the like comprising in combination a ventilated container and a plurality of substantially uniform prepackaging cartons of fibreboard material nested therein in alignment longitudinally of the container; the container having a pair of spaced substantially rectangular wooden end members each having a bottom edge, opposite erect side edges, and a top edge; a single sheet of fibreboard material interconnecting the end members and secured to the bottom edges and side edges thereof; the cartons having downwardly convergent side and end walls provided with ventilation openings therethrough and defining ventilation passages between the lower portions of the cartons and between the lower portions of said cartons and the container, bottoms continuous with said side and end walls, and lids in covering relation to said cartons, the lids having transparent inspection windows provided therein of an area less than the area of their respective lids; slats interconnecting the upper edges of the end members of the container and arranged to overlay the portions of the lids boundin the inspection windows to retain the cartons in the container, the sheet of fibreboard material being formed with ventilation openings therethrough in registry with the ventilation passages formed between the cartons and between the cartons and the container.

4. A ventilated inspection package for fresh fruits and the like comprising a pair of substantially rectangular spaced wooded end members each having a bottom edge, opposite side edges,

and a top edge; a sheet of fibreboard material afiixed to the bottom and side edges of the end members and interconnectin the same in fixed spaced relation, said fibreboard sheet being bent along crease-lines endwardly of the container coincident with the intersections of the bottom and side edges of the end members; a plurality of substantially rectangular prepackaging cartons fitted in abutting end-to-end and side-to-side relation between the end members and the portions of the fibreboard sheet interconnecting the side edges of the end members respectively, said cartons having lids providing inspection windows therein, downwardly convergent end walls and side walls defining ventilation passages between the cartons, between the cartons and the end members and between the cartons and the portions of the fibreboard sheet interconnecting the side edges of the end members; slats interconnecting the upper edges of the end members and overlaying adjacent edges of the cartons and the edges of the cartons adjacent to the portions of the fibreboard interconnecting the side edges of the end members, respectively, said slats being spaced for visual reference to the carton inspection windows therebetween; cleats overlay ng the slats and secured to the upper edges of the end members therethrough; and cleats underlaying the fibreboard sheet and secured to the lower edges of the end members therethrough, the fibreboard sheet havin ventilation openings formed therethrough in registry with the ventilation passages defined by the end walls and the side walls of the cartons and in registry with transverse passages formed between the passages by the cleats when said packages are in stacked relation.

5. A ventilated container comprising a pair of wooden members of similar shape each having a bottom edge, opposite side edges and a top edge; a single sheet of fibreboard material interconnecting the end members and secured to the bottom edges and side edges thereof, said sheet having ventilation openings formed therethrough;

lower spacing cleats positioned below the sheet of fibre-board material and nailed to the bottom edges of the end members therethrough; an air pervious lid interconnecting the top edges of the end members; and upper spaced cleats nailed to the end members through the lid whereby when said container is in stacked relation with similar containers horizontal air passages are defined transversely across the lid and across the bottom thereof between the spaced upper cleats and the spaced lower cleats which air passages communicate with the ventilation openings in the fibreboard material and with the air pervious lid.

ANTHONY J. STEFANICI-I.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 410,429 Mott Sept. 3, 1889 464,565 Hawley Dec. 8, 1891 1,346,661 Lemon July 13, 1920 1,412,361 Lippmann Apr. 11, 1922 1,947,446 Boren Feb. 20, 1934 1,959,998 Bronson May 22, 1934 2,248,682 Hulett July 8, 1941 2,328,689 Shofer Sept. 7, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 266,861 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1927