US2725157A - Collapsible boxes, packing cases, travelling trunks or the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 29, 1955 E. c. SMITH COLLAPSIBLE BOXES, PACKING CASES, TRAVELLING TRUNKS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26. 1952 /NVENTOR 1506/? CHARLES ATTORNEYS Nov. v29 1955 Q SMITH 2,725,157

COLLAPSIBLE BOXES, PACKING CASES, TRAVELLING TRUNKS OR THE LIKE Filed April 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 18 I E--- I 19- ,J -IQ 23 14 13 D 14 16 14 0 15 E 12 E 10 ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent 6 COLLAPSIBLE BOXES, 'PACKING'CA'SES; TRAVELLING OR- THE LIKE Edgar Charles Smith, London, Engiand I Application April 26, 1952, Serial- No. 284,552

Claims'priority, applicationGreat Britain May 8, 1951 3 Claims. (Cl. 217"-14) This invention relates to collapsible boxes, packing cases, travelling trunks and. the like and has for object the provision" of a box, packing case, trunk or the like which-can easily be erected to receive goodsto'be packed and when not in use can be easily collapsed so as to occupy a relatively small volume, and the parts of which are interconnected so as to form a unitary structure.

According to the invention, a box, packing case, trunk or the like is provided comprising a base, a lid, sides and ends, in which the ends are hinged to vertical edges ofthe respective sides, said edges being diagonally opposite with respect to the base, so that'each end can be folded inwards against the inner surface of the side to which it is hinged, one side being connected to the base by means which permit said side to be disposed so that the end connected to saidside lies on the inner surface. of the base and said side lies on the said end hinged to it, and the other side being connected to the base by means which permit said other side to be disposedwith its normally outer surface lying on the first mentioned side with the end hinged to said other side on top of the latter, the lid of the box, packing case, trunk or the like. being connected to the outer surface of saidiother side by means whereby after the above mentioned operations have been performed, the lid can be disposed so as to overlie said sides and ends and lie squarely on said'base.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will. now be described in more detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view ofa packing caseaccording to the invention, with the ends of the case-fdldedinwards and with the lid open.

Fig. 2 is perspective view of partof; the casev withthe lid closed, on a larger scale than Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the case at the plane indicated by the lines llI1II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the partly collapsed case at the same plane, illustrating the inward and downward movements of the sides and ends, and

Fig. is a sectional elevation at the same plane of the completely collapsed case.

The packing case shown comprises a flat base 1 to the edges of which are secured narrow vertical edge pieces 2, 2, 3, 3 whereby to form a shallow tray. At or near the upper edge of the edge piece 2 on one side and on the inner surface of said edge piece 2 is secured near each end of the edge piece 2 one leaf 4 of a hinge, the other leaf 5 of which is extended to form an elongated strip terminating in a transverse pin 6, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the strip 5 and which engage in guides provided in a guide member 7, there being two such guide members 7, one for each of said hinges, secured to one side 8 of the packing case. The pins 6 and the associated guides 7 provide sliding connections between the side 8 and the edge piece 2 whereby the side 8 is movable towards and away from the base 1 to a limited extent determined by stops 10 at the upper and lower ends of the "ice guides 7. Toone endof the side 8 is hinged an. end 9, by hinges 9 which permit the end 9 to be turned inwardly towards the side 8,. but preventing, it frombeing turned outwardly. Tothe edge pieces 2" secured to the-opposite edge of the base. 1-are secured one leaf 11 of each of two further hinges, the other leaves 12. of which are extended in the form ofelongated strips which are longer than the strips 5. of the first .described.hinges and. which also terminate in transverse pins. 13' which are slidable in two guides 14 secured near the respective vertical edges of the side 15 of the packing case about half way up said side 15, stops 14 being. provided at. the .uPPer and. lower ends of the guides 14. To the end of the side 15 which isdiagonally opposite the edge of the side 8 to which the end 9 is hinged, is hinged. the other end 16 .of the packing case by means of hinges 17 which permit the. .-end.16 to be folded inwards towards the side 15,. (Fig. 1), but prevent it from. being .turned outwards. The packingcase is provided with a lid comprising a. flat top 18 to the edges of which-are secured edge pieces 19, 19, 20,. 20., forming a tray similar to that formed by the base land its associated edge pieces 2, 2, 3, 3', the. edge piece 19" secured to one edge. of the top 1 having one leaf'21 of each .of apair of hinges connected to it,- theother leaves of said. hingesbeing the form of elongated strips 22. which terminate in transverse pins 2.3-whichare slidable in guides 24 Secured to the outer. surface of the side. 1.5..0f the packing. case and provided with upper and lower stops 24,

When the packingcase is in the. erected conditionthe pins 6 and 13,are at the. upper ends of their respective guides 7'jand 14, .and thepins-23..are.at the. lower. ends of their guides24 (see Figs. 1, 2. and 3).

In order to collapse the packing. case, the lid, 18 is opened, and the ends 9 and 16. are turned inwards as shown by arrows A and B (Fig... 1) againstthe sides 8 and 15' respectively, to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The side 8' and ,end' 9 are. then liftedin the direction of the arrow- C (Figs. 1 and3), until the pins. 6=abut the lower stops 1 0 of the guides.7, and theside 8. and end 9 arethen turned inwards as. indicated byv the arrow, D (Figs. 3' .and'4), until ,the-end9 lies. on thebase land the side 8"lies on .the end 9 (see. Fig. 5.). The side 15 and .end

16. are then liftedlinthe. direction .of the. ,arr.ow E (Figs. 1 and ,3") until the pins. 13 abut the lower. stops 1d of. the guidesl l, and the side .15 and end 16 are together turned in the direction of. theiartow. F (Fig.4.) so as to bring the end 16 uppermost, and at the same. time vtheside 15 and end. 16 are swung inwards. aboutthe hinge .pins of the hinges 11,12".- These movements..are.;continued.until as shown in Fig. S'the side 15 lies on the end 8 and the end 16 lies on the side 15. The above-mentioned lifting of the side 15 and end 16 are conveniently effected by lifting the lid 18, which brings the pins 23 into engagement with the upper stops 24' of the guides 24, so that when the side 15 and end 16 have been lowered to the positions shown in Fig. 5 the lid is ready to be swung so as to overlie the sides 8, 15 and ends 9, 16 with the lid lying squarely on the base, the edge pieces 19, 19, 20 and 20' of the lid abutting the edge pieces 2, 2', 3 and 3' of the base. When this has been done the sides and ends of the packing case are enclosed within the two trays formed by the base 1 and lid 18 and their respective edge pieces.

To erect the packing case for the reception of goods to be packed, the lid is lifted so as to bring the lid and the side 15 and end 16 to the positions shown in Fig. 4, the side 15 is then turned in the opposite direction to the arrow F and the lower edges of the side 15 and end 16 are inserted into the tray 1, 2, 2, 3, 3', so as to lie against the adjacent edge piece 2, the guides 14 sliding downwards with respect to the pins 13. The side 8 is then turned upwardly and lowered, by virtue of the sliding connections between the guides 7 and pins 6, so that the lower edge of side 8 and the end 9 rest within the tray, adjacent the edge piece 2. The two ends 9 and 16 are then turned away from the sides 8 and respectively so as to project at right angles to their associated sides with the free edges of the ends 9, 16 abutting against the sides 15, 8. The lid is then lowered by virture of the sliding connections between the guides 24 and pins 23 which connect it to the side 15, to the limit of travel of the pins 23 in the guides 24, and in this position the lid can be turned over so as to close the erected packing case, the upper and lower edges of the sides 8, 15 and ends 9, 16 then projecting into the trays formed respectively by the base 1 and top 18 and the associated edge pieces.

It will be observed that the parts of the packing case or the like are all interconnected so as to provide a unitary structure, thereby avoiding the possibility of parts being lost.

I claim:

1. A box, packing case, trunk or the like comprising a base, a lid, sides and ends, one end being hinged to a vertical edge of one side whereby said one end is capable of folding inwards against the inside surface of said one side, the other end being hinged to a vertical edge of the other side whereby said other end is capable of folding inwards against the inside surface of said other side, the vertical edge oflthe said one side being diagonally opposite with respect to the base to the vertical edge of the said other side, the periphery of said base having upwardly projecting edge pieces to form a tray, at least one hinge interconnecting the said one side and its associated edge piece, the point of attachment of the hinge to the said one side being on the outside surface of the said one side and having limited free movement across said outside surface to allow the one side together with its associated end in the folded position to be folded within the said tray, at least one other hinge interconnecting the said other side and its associated edge piece, the said other hinge having a leaf of a sufficient length and the point of attachment of the leaf to the said other side being on the outside surface of the said other side and having limited free movement across the last mentioned outside surface to allow the said other side together with its associated end in the folded position to be folded with its outside surface resting upon the outside surface of said one side folded within the tray, and at least one further hinge interconnecting the said lid and the said other side, the point of attachment of the said further hinge to said other side being on the outside surface of said other side and having limited free movement across the last mentioned outside surface to allow the lid to lie parallel to and above the said other side when the box is in its folded condition.

2. A box, packing case, trunk or the like as set forth in claim 1, wherein the periphery of said lid is provided with projecting edge pieces to form a tray which is of substantially the same area as the tray formed by the base and its edge pieces, said trays being capable of cooperating with one another to enclose completely the sides and ends when collapsed.

3. A box, packing case, trunk or the like comprising a base, a lid, sides and ends, one end being hinged to a vertical edge of one side whereby said one end is capable of folding inwards against the inside surface of said one side, the other end being hinged to a vertical edge of the other side whereby said other end is capable of folding inwards against the inside surface of said other side, the vertical edge of the said one side being diagonally opposite with respect to the base to the vertical edge of the said other side, the periphery of said base having upwardly projecting edge pieces to form a tray, at least one hinge interconnecting the said one side and its associated edge piece, the point of attachment of the hinge to the said one side having limited free movement to allow the one side together with its associated end in the folded attitude to be raised from a position in which the lower edges of the said one side and its associated end are in contact with the base to a position in which said lower edges are raised above said base, and thus allow the one side together with its associated end to be folded within the said tray, at least one other hinge interconnecting the said other side and its associated edge piece, the said other hinge having a leaf of a sufficient length and the point of attachment of the leaf to the said other side having limited free movement to allow the other side together with its associated end in the folded attitude to be raised from a position in which the lower edges of the said other side and its associated end are in contact with the base to a position in which the lower edges are raised "above said base and thus allow the said other side together with its associated end to be folded with its outside surface resting upon the outside surface of the said one side folded within the tray, and at least one further hinge interconnecting the said lid and the said other side, the point of attachment of the said further hinge to said other side having limited free movement to allow the lid to be raised above the upper edge of said other side and to lie parallel to and above the said other side when the box is in the folded condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,410 Wrenshall June 8, 1909 1,322,419 Francis Nov. 18, 1919 1,347,230 Roberts July 20, 1920 2,172,588 Leichtfuss Sept. 12, 1939

Images