US2768738A - Crated cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1956 A. wHlTN ET AL CRATED CABINET '3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 25, 1954 Oct 30, 1956 A. wHrroN ET AL 2,768,738

CRATED CABINET Oct- 30, 1956 A. wHlToN ET AL CRATED CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1954 A, a E A 5.

n@ iw United States Patent O CRATED CABINET Arthur L. Wllitou, Evanston, and Ralph J. Byers, Des Plaines, lll., assiguors to Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March 23, 1954, Serial No. 418,071

1 Claim. (Cl. 20G-46) This invention relates to a shipping container or the like which provides maximum stacking and crushing strength and minimum weight while also affording complete protection against ingr'ess of dirt. Specically, this invention relates to a crate for refrigerators or the like bulky cabinet structures which is composed of wood and corrugated paper board with the wooden components arranged to provide maximum stacking strength and tending to place the paper board components under tension when loaded to thereby provide maximum strength with a minimum amount of material.

The invention will hereinafter be specifically described as embodied in a crate for refrigerators but it should be understood that the crate of this invention is not limited to usage for packaging any particular type of goods Since the principles of this invention are generally applicable to containers or shipping packages for any use.

Heretofore known wood reinforced corrugated board shipping crates have had the wood reinforcing cleats or slats on the outside of the crate. It has been observed that stresses incurred in the stacking of such crates tend to place the corrugated board under compression loads. Since corrugated paper board has very little resistance to compression, the board in such crates has acted merely as a dust seal or cover. Any attempts to utilize some of the strength of the paper board for enhancing the strength of the crate, has required the use of padding between the packaged goods and the board or has permitted the direct seating of the board on the packaged goods. This practice, of course, results in th'e loading of the contents of the crate when the crate is loaded thereby enhancing the chances of damaging the packaged goods or at least subjecting it to undesired stresses which may tend to cause Warpage.

The present invention now provides a cleated corrugated board crate which places the corrugated board under tension when the crate is loaded and which does not r'equire packing or other inserts to maintain the crate components in spaced relation from the packaged goods. Y

In the specific preferred embodiment of the invention, a refrigerator to be packaged has its bottom bolted -to a skid and its back bolted to a transverse crate bar. The skid is composed of two parallel wooden slats resting on a single sheet of corrugated board to form a closed bottom for the crate. The corrugated board, in turn, rests on a pair of spaced external slats in right angle relation to the internal slats and secured thereto to form a rectangular frame. The internal slats have notched corners and the corrugated board has integral folding aps extending from the four sides thereof. The back wall of the refrigerator has the crate bar bolted transversely thereacross adjacent the top of the refrigerator and a pair vof inclined wooden spacer bars are dispos'ed between the crate bar and this back wall so as to hold the crate bar in rearwardly spaced relation from the refrigerator. A four-sided wrap-'around wood-cleated corrugated board abutting member has four vertical or upright wooden cleats secured to the inside face thereof at the corner-forming portions of the body. The bottoms of these upright cleats fit in the notches of the Slat boards. The cleats adjacent the rear corners of the body member are notched near their top ends to receive the ends of the crate boards. Front and rear transverse or horizontal cleats are lalso provided to it in notches at the central points of the upright cleats to rigidify the front and rear walls of the body. The spacer boards are notched to engage and rigidity the rear corner upright cleats. Folding flaps are provided 'at the top and bottom ends of the body member beyond the cleats and a seam-forming flap is provided on one end edge of the body to overlap the other end edge. A top assembly composed of a plywood or wood veneer Vpanel with cleats on the inner face thereof forming a rectangular frame and providing notches to receive the upper ends of the vertical or upright cleats, is covered with a single sheet of corrugated board having folding aps extending beyond the panel from the four sides thereof. The flaps of the body and the top and bottom assembly interlock to form dust-tight seals and the resulting interlocked seams are held tightly against the body member by wraparound metal straps.

From the above descriptions, it should be understood that the crate of the preferred embodiment of this invention only contacts the back of the refrigerator through the two spacer boards. The entire remaining components of the crate are spaced from the refrigerator and are so rigidied that they will not be deflected into contact with the refrigerator unless, of course, the corrugated board is punctured. The cleats are all disposed inside of the corrugated board body and when the crate is loaded as in stacking, the wood components form a rigid skeleton reinforced by the paper board and without subjecting the refrigerator to any loads. The crate is dust-proof and moisture-proof since the strap-held seams between the body and the top and bottom assemblies are tight. The vertical cleats have their top and bottom ends bottomed on wood and yet any external shocks to these cleats must come through the shock-absorbing corrugated board.

The wooden plywood or veneer top panels for the cover or top assembly, cooperate with the rectangular wooden bottom skid assemblies to provide a virtual platform which is substantially puncture-proof and will carry loads which yare misaligned from the upright cleats.

It is then an object of this invention to provide a shipping container which cannot have rubbing contact with the packaged goods and which affords maximum strength per unit weight.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shipping crate composed of wood cleated corrugated board wherein the wood cleats are disposed inside of the crate and when loaded will place the corrugated board under tension.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate heretofore required padding and corrugated board reinforcement members in a crate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide sealing flaps on the top and bottom assemblies of the crate to tie all four sides of th'e upright body member of the crate together to cause the same to work in unison.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a wood veneer or multi-ply wood panel assembly for the top of a corrugated paper board crate to enhance the puncture resistance of the assembly and form a platform type supporting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide corner cleats supporting a plywood top for a Wood cleated corrugated paper board crate to eliminate possible puncture of the paper board from loads carried by the cleats.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plywood top for cleated corrugated board crates which will resist distortion and collapse.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleatcd corrugated board crate with front and rear horizontal cleats to resist thrust loads encountered in trucking on two-Wheel hand carts or the like devices which incline the crates.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cleated corrugated board crate wherein vertical cleats are backed by wooden skids and cannot break through the corrugated bottom of the crate.

A further object is to provide a cleated corrugated board crate which provides the goods packaged therein with a dust-tight seal and which relieves all stresses from the corrugated board during normal loads imposed on the crate while utilizing the tensile strength of the corrugated board to assist the cleats in supporting abnormal loads without transmitting any of the load to the goods themselves.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the attached sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and a slightly changed modification of this embodiment.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the crate of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the wrap-around body portion forming the side walls of the crate.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-lV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view along the line V-V of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bottom or platform portion of the crate.

Figure 7 is a bottom or inside plan view of the cover or top portion of the crate.

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view, with parts in top plan, taken along the line VlII-VII of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 7 but illustrating a modied arrangement for the cleats on the inner face of the top assembly.

As shown on the drawings:

The crate 10 of Figure 1 includes a substantially square tubular body 11, a bottom assembly 12 and a top assembly or cover 13. A metal strap 14 secures the bolted joint between the bottom 12 and the body 11 while a second metal strap 15 is provided around the joint between the cover 13 and the top of the body 11. If desired, the at straps 14 and 15 may be replaced with conventional wire binding strands. Any strong strand material is useful.

As shown in Figure 3, the body 11 is composed of a single flat rectangular sheet 16 of corrugated paper board of the type conventionally used for shipping containers. The sheet 16 has vertical score or fold lines 17 at spaced parallel intervals to provide a side wall 18, a front wall 19, a second side Wall 20, a rear wall 21, and an end ap 22. The top and bottom edges of the sheet are slotted at 23 at the ends of the vertical score lines 17 to provide folding flaps 24 at the top and bottom ends of each of the wall portions 18, 19, and 21. Spaced parallel double score lines 25 extend across the inner ends of the flaps to provide a flap portion 24a therebetween which will afford an end wall when the flap is folded, thereby accommodating an inserted flap.

Wide wooden cleats 26 are secured to the inner faces of the side portions 18 and 20 of the sheet 16 with the cleat 26 on the side 18 being adjacent the free edge of this side while the cleat 26 on the side 20 is adjacent the fold line 17 between the side 20 and the back 21. These same sides 1S and 2) also have narrower wooden cleats 27 secured to the inner faces thereof adjacent the fold lines joining them with the front 19. Suitable fasteners 2S, such as nails, staples, stitching, adhesive bonds, or the like, or any combination of such fasteners unite the cleats to the corrugated Sheet 16. The term fastener as used herein is therefore intended to cover such devices and bonds. The vertical cleats 26 and 27 have flat ends terminating slightly inward from the inner fold lines 25.

The Wide cleats 26 have top notches 26a in the edges thereof which face away from the side walls on which they are mounted near the top of the cleats and notches 26h in these same edges or side faces at the midpoint of the cleats. The cleats 27 do not have the top notches but have notches 27!) level with the notches 2617.

Wooden horizontal or transverse cleats 29 are secured to the inner faces of the front 19 and back 21 in alignment with the middle notches of the vertical cleats and have tongues 29a on the ends thereof adapted to fit into the adjacent notches with shoulders 29b at the inner ends of the tongues forming abutment surfaces for engaging the adjacent slats when the sheet 16 is folded into its tubular form. Fasteners such as 30, or glue bonds, or both, can be used to unite the cleats 29 to the inner faces of the front and back 19 and 21. It will be noted that in the llat position of the sheet 16 the transverse or horizontal cleats 29 are spaced from the vertical cleats and terminate inwardly from the adjacent folds, or score lines, 17.

As shown in Figure 6, the bottom assembly 12 of the crate 10 is composed of a pair of spaced parallel bottom wooden skids 31, a single sheet 32 of corrugated board disposed over the skids 31 and a pair of spaced parallel Wooden slats 33 in right angular relation to the skids 31 and disposed over the corrugated board 32 and the skids. Fasteners 34, such as nails, staples, or the like, unite the skids 31 and slats 33 while clamping the corrugated board 32 therebetween. This forms a rectangular wooden frame having the skids 31 on the outer face of the corrugated sheet 32 and the slats 33 on the inner face of the sheet.

The sheet 32 projects beyond the slats and skids and has the corners of the projecting margin cut away to form aps 35. A score line or folding line 36 is provided to separate the flaps from the main body portion of the board and double score lines 37 are provided outwardly from the lines 36 in parallel relation therewith to provide therebetween an end-forming portion 35a for each flap when the flap is folded on itself.

The bottom lassembly 12 is very rigid even though its central portion is composed of only a single thickness of corrugated board.

The slats 33 have deep notches 33a extending inwardly from adjacent ends thereof and shallower notches 33h extending inwardly from the opposite ends thereof. The notches 33a and 33b are formed in the outer sides of the slats with the wide notches 33a sized for receiving the wide cleats 26 of the body assembly 60 and with the narrow notches 33b sized for receiving the narrower cleats 27.

The cover assembly 13 is composed of an outer sheet 40 of corrugated paper board, an inner plywood panel 41, and four wooden slats 42, 43, 44, and 45 on the inner face of the plywood panel 41 arranged in rectangular position in spaced parallel relation just inwardly of the periphery of the plywood panels. The side slats 43 and 45 are disposed partially between the rear slat 42 and the front slat 44 and project partially beyond the ends of these slats to provide notched recesses. The slat 42 is wider than the other slats so that the notches or recesses 42a at the ends thereof are deeper than the notches or recesses 44a at the ends of the front slat 44.

These slats 42, 43, 44 and 45 are united to the plywood panel 41 and to the corrugated board cover 40 by arcanes means of fasteners, staples or the like ,46. f desired, glue bonds can be used to` unite the slats, plywood-and papereover. t

As in the case of the paper cover 32, the top cover 40 projectsbeyond the slats and beyond the plywood panel 41 and has the corners ofthe projecting portion cut out to form folding aps 47. Score lines 48 are provided in the flaps in spaced parallelA relationadjacent the periphery of the plywood 41 and double score lines 49 are provided inthe aps outwardly from the score'lines 48 to form an end edge portion 47a therebetween and to accommodate the folding of the flaps upon themselves.

As is shown n Figures` 4 5 and 8, the crate 10 pack- ,ages a refrigerator 50vwith a ilat bottom 51, a vertical back wall 52,Y a contouredl top 53, a substantially iiat side l54, and an ope-nV front, closed' by a rounded door 55. The flat bottom has bolt receiving apertures, and mounting bolts 56 iirrnly unite the bottom 51 to the tops of the wooden slats 33 of the bottom crate assembly 12.

As shown in Figure 8, the rear wall 52 of the refrigerator 50 has nuts, such as the nut 57, welded thereon near the top wall 53. These nuts receive bolts 58 therein. The bolts extend through a pair of wood spacer bars 59 and through a horizontal wood crate bar 6 as shown in Figures 4, and 8. The spacer bars 59 have their inner side edges clamped against the rear 52 of the refrigerator and their outer side edges abutted by the crate bar 60.

The outer lower end of the spacer bars 59 is notched at 59a to receive the wide-vertical cleats 26 as will be more fully described hereinafter.

When the refrigerator 50 is bolted on the bottom assembly 12 and when the crate bar 60 and spacer bars 59 are bolted to the rear wall of the refrigerator, the tubular body 11 is then adapted to be wrapped around the refrigerator and to have its flap 22 stitched on the outside space of the side wall 18 by means of staples, wire stitching, or the like 61, as shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the body 11 can first be folded into tubular form and then dropped around the refrigerator 50. When the body is folded on its score lines 17, the notches 26a in the wide cleats 26 will receive tongues 60a on the ends of the crate bars 60, as shown in Figure 5. These tongues afford abutment shoulders 60b for the opposed faces of the cleats 27. The tongues 29a of the horizontal cleats 29 will also tit in the notches 26b and 27b of the adjacent cleats, and the spacer bar lnotches 59a will receive the wide cleats 26 at the rear of the refrigerator. The bottoms of all of the vertical cleats 26 and 27 will tit into the notches 33a and 33b, respectively, of the bottom assembly with the wide cleats 26 fitting in the wide notches 33a and the narrow cleats 27 fitting in the narrow notches 33b at the front of the refrigerator. The flaps 24 at the bottom of the body 11 will be outturned and mated on top of the double aps 35 of the bottom assembly as shown in Figure 4. The free ends of the double flaps 35 will then be inserted between the flaps 24 and the main body to form an interlocked seam or joint which will be held in locked position by the bottom strap 14.

The cover or top assembly 13 is then deposited on top of the tubular body 11 with the flaps 47 thereof overlying the outturned flap 24 at the top of the body. The wide cleats 26 at the rear of the crate will fit in the notches 42a provided at the ends of the wide slats 42 while the narrow cleats 26 at the front of the crate will fit in the notches 44a at `the ends of the front slats 44. The double tlaps 47 of the cover are thereupon folded around the flaps 24 at the top of the body and the top strap 15 will hold the assembly in tight seamed relation as shown in Figure 2. As therein shown, the double seam has the end walls 24a and 47a thereof provided by the portion between the double score lines.

The bottom ends of all of the vertical cleats 26 and 27 rest on the corrugated boards 32 that are positioned in the notches 33a and 33h of the bottom assembly, but the skids 31 underlie the corrugated paper at these areas -so that the thrust loads will be imparted directly through the cushioning paper to the wooden skids.

The top ends of the vertical cleats 26 and 27 directly abut the inner face of the veneer panel 41 positioned in the notches 42a and 44a. Thrust forces are thus irnparted to the substantial platform-like assembly but external portions must be applied through the corrugated paper cover before reaching the inner frame structure.

The abutment aiforded by the tongues and the notches -for the cleats and slats provide thrust resisting stops which reinforce the cleats to create a framework which is extremely rigid and capable of supporting great loads. At the same time, however, the refrigerator 50 is spaced from both the framework and the surrounding cover afforded by the corrugated paper tube and the top and bottom end covers. No damage of the refrigerator body due to rubbing action between the crate and body can occur. The refrigerator is fixedly cradled inside of the crate and yet has contact only with the portions of the crate adjacent its upper rear end and on its bottom.

In stacking loaded crates of this invention, any tendency for the cleats to deflect under load will be resisted by the tensile strength of the corrugated paper, since the framework will tend to bow outwardly and thereby place the surrounding tube in tension. The plywood panel and the top assembly prevent puncturing of the top assembly by the vertical cleats.

In the event that it is desired to use narrow slats in the top assembly, the alternative top arrangement 13a of Figure 9 can be provided. In the modification 13a, parts identical with parts shown in Figure 7 have been marked with the same reference numerals.

As shown in Figure 9, the front and rear slats 70 and 71 are identical and are shorter than the side slats 72 and 73. These side slats overlap the ends Aof the front and rear slats and are notched at their front end to provide narrow notches 74 and are notched at their rear end to provide wide notches 75 to serve the same purposes as thernotches 44a and 42a of Figure 7. This arrangement utilizes narrower lumber and avoids the necessity for the wide piece 42 of Figure 7.

From the above description, it will be evident that this invention now provides a simplified, inexpensive, lightweight shipping carton or crate having a rigid wooden framework composed of interlocking cleats and slats and a corrugated paper board envelope sealing the packaged goods against moisture and dirt. The crate of this invention rigidly cradles the packaged goods in spaced relation from any of its walls so that the goods cannot be damaged by a rubbing action.

It will be understood that modifications and variations of the present invention may be effected within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the novel concept of this invention.

We claim as our invention:

A shipping package formed from corrugated paper board and wooden members and comprising a rigid bottom cabinet-mounting platform having parallel front and rear wooden skids and parallel side wooden slats overlying said skids and secured thereto, a corrugated paper board cover between the skids and slats and having foldable iiaps projecting therefrom, said slats having notches in the corners thereof, a cabinet secured to said slats, an upstanding corrugated board tubular body member surrounding said cabinet and having score lines providing a rst side wall, a front wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall together with an overlying liap securing the rear wall to the first side wall, vertical cleats secured to the inner face of said body member near the corner forming portions thereof having bottom ends received in the notches of the slats to lbe abutted on two sides by the slats, a cover assembly having a top corrugated paper board cover, an underlying wood veneer panel and slats on the inner face of the panel adjacent the periphery thereof forming notches, -said notches receiving the top ends of the vertical cleats, said cover having reversely foldable flaps extending therefrom, the top and bottom ends of the body member having reversely foldable aps extending therefrom, said body aps interlocking the 'aps of the platform and the `cover assembly to form sealed seams, straps embracing the interlocked flaps for locking same in closed position, a horizontal crate bar engaging vthe back of said cabinet adjacent the top thereof and having its ends extending beyond the sides thereof and in contact with the inner surface of said side walls, spacer bars disposed diagonally across the upper corners of the package between the cabinet and crate bar holding the body member in spaced relation to the cabinet, a pair of opposed notches in the vertical cleats receiving and supporting the ends of said crate bar, said spacer bars engaging the notched vertical cleats and the vertical face of one of said slats on the inner face of said panel,

andenes 'i8 and means connecting the crate bar, spacer bars, and cabinet to thereby connect the cabinet to the tubularv b'ody member adjacent the top thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,254,515 Leiman Jan. 22, 1918 1,845,086 Hillyer Feb. 16, 1932 1,990,788 Kells Feb. 12, 1935 2,177,933 Boeye Oct. 31, 1939 2,332,016 Schweller Oct. 19, 1943 2,420,425 Hardwick May 13, 1947 2,488,692 "Talbot Nov. 22, 1949 2,665,002 Baumann et al. Jan. 5, 1954 2,700,457 Munroe Jan. 25, 1955 2,730,287 Mueller Jan. 10, 1956

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