US2829792A

US2829792A - Box construction

Info

Publication number: US2829792A
Application number: US512021A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bertram T Gill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-05-31
Filing date: 1955-05-31
Publication date: 1958-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 1975-04-08

Description

B. T. GILL BOX CONSTRUCTION v p il 8, 1958 Filed May 1, 1955 2 heets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BERT/PAM 7t GILL l5 l7 BY: 67

ATT'YS April 8, 1958 B. T. GILL 2,829,792

BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed May 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BERTRAM Z Q/LL ATT'YS United States Patent BOX CONSTRUCTION Bertram T. Gill, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Application May 31, 1955, Serial No. 512,021

1 Claim. (Cl. 217-12) This invention relates to boxes or crates and in particular to boxes or crates of the type used to pack and ship frangible articles such as bottles.

Boxes of this type generally in use today are made from timber, usually with mortised or dove-tailed or nailed .joints. This method of construction results in a very expensive box. A further disadvantage suffered by these boxes is that due to the method of manufacture they are ditiicult and expensive to repair should the need arise.

Wooden boxes which are not reinforced with metal have a very short life due to their inabilityto withstand the rough handling that they receive in transit. It is Well known to protect the corners of boxes by metal angle members but the method of doing this which is commonly used is expensive and time consuming. Almost all metal reinforced wooden boxes have a welded frame into which the boards are fitted. Each weld is a separate operation unless jigs are used in which case only one size and type of box can be assembled by the operator without adjusting the jig to accommodate the new size.

In boxes adapted to contain bottles, it is often the practice to insert partitions in the box to hold the bottles in spaced relationship to one another. In order to support the partitions in the box it is necessary to perform several operations in addition to those performed in assembling the box itself. The partitions are usually nailed to the side walls of the box or secured by means of slots in the walls which makes them diflicult to remove for repair or replacement.

From the foregoing discussion it will be seen that the present state of the'box or crate art is highly unsatisfactory.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a box which will overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a metal-framed wooden box which is assembled without welds.

It is another object of the invention to provide a box which will be very sturdy and resistant to roughhandling.

It is still another object to provide a box which can bottom frame are received together by corner posts engaging each and means are provided to tighten the assembly by exerting a force on the upper frame to cause it to bear on the side walls and urge them towards the bottom boards.

The invention is defined in the appended claim when read in the light of the following description of the preferred embodiment. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals denote like parts inthe various views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box made in accordance with this invention with portions cut away to show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the lower portion of a corner bracket;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of the corner bracket of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom frame illustrating its construction;

- Fig. 5 is a section through a box having cross partitions;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 showing a slightly different construction, and

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of an inner corner post.

Referring now to the drawings the box will be seen to consist generally of a bottom frame, a top frame, corner posts, a bottom wall and side walls.

The bottom frame shown generally at 10 in Fig. 1 and in detail in Fig. 4 consists of a metal angle member having a vertical flange 11 and a horizontal flange 12. The angle member in Fig. 4 is of a length equal to the perimeter of the box and is divided into sections 10a (Fig. 4) by means of cuts 13 in the horizontal flange 12. The sections Hm are of lengths equal to the lengths of corresponding sides of the box. Holes 14 are punched or drilled in pairs in the flange 12, one oneach side of each cut 13 and one hole at each end of the angle member. When the angle member is then bent to the form shown in Figure 4 in dotted lines, the portions of flange 12 adjacent cuts 13 overlap one another andthe holes 14 of each pair register with one another as do the holes 14 at each end of the member. By passing bolts through the holes 14 angle members can be held in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 without welding.

Lying within the frame produced in the manner described above is a bottom board 15. This bottom board be made in any size without altering the assembly procedure.

It is still another object to provide a box in which partitions may be erected and removed with a maximum of facility.

It is yet another object to provide a box in which the partitions will be held within the box without the use of nails, screws or other fastening means.

It is also an object to provide a box which can be repaired without disassembly.

Finally it is an object of the invention to provide a box which is simple and economical to manufacture.

According to the invention a one-piece metal bottom frame is provided which receives the bottom board of the box and in which the side walls are seated. An upper frame consisting of channel membersis seated on the upper edges of the sidewalls. The upper frame and the may conveniently beof pressed board, plywood or similar sheet material or may be made from conventional timber boards. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the corners 16 of the bottom board 15 are cut off at an angle so that the bottom board will not extend into the corners of the bottom frame and interfere with the holes 14. Along the remainder of the periphery of the bottom board, however, the edges 17 are in abutment with the vertical flange 11 of the angle member 10.

Side walls 13 extend upwardly from the marginal edges of the bottom board 15. The side walls 18 may also be of material such as pressed board, plywood or the like and rest upon their edges in abutment with the bottom board 15 and the vertical flange 11 of the bottom frame.

Seated on the upper edge of each side wall is a metal channel member 19, which is roughly of U-shaped crosssection, having legs 19a and 1% as seen in Fig. 3. The channel member 19 straddles the upper edge of the side wall and extends along substantially its entire length. 4

External corner posts 20 are provided of angle material having two flanges 20a and 20b at to one another. These corner posts bear at one end upon horizontal flange 1.2 of the bottom frame between the side walls 18 and the vertical flange 11 of the bottom frame and at the other, bear against the web of the channel members joining the two legs thereof, flange 20a lying against one side wall and flange 20b lying against the adjacent side wall. The posts 20 are of a length equal to the height of the side walls 18 plus the thickness of the bottom board 15. Thus since they rest upon the flange 12 of the bottom frame they lie flush with the upper edge of the side walls. The position of the outer corner posts 20 may be seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

'Inner corner posts 21 are also provided and are shown in detail in Fig. 7. The corner posts consist of angle material having flanges 21a and 21b at 90 to one another. At the upper end of thepost, at the ends of each flange is a tab 22 which is bent downwardly as shown in full lines to form a hook. At the lower end of the post 21, triangular tabs 23 are provided which are each bent at right angles to the flanges 21a and 2112 as shown in full lines to form a horizontal flange or base 23a through which a hole 24 is provided adapted to register with holes 14 in the horizontal flange of the bottom frame.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that near each end of each channel member 19 two

slits

25 and 26 are provided in leg 19b running parallel to the length of the channel member, the material between the slits being raised to provide a loop 27 adapted to receive hooks 22.

To assemble the box, the bottom board is seated on flange 12 of the bottom frame, the side walls 18 are set up in position and the outer corner posts inserted between flange 11 and the side walls at each corner. The channel members 19 are placed over the upper edges of the side walls and the outer corner posts. The inner corner posts 21 are then set in position with hooks 22 engaging loops 27 in the channel members. Each post 21 has two hooks 22 which engage the loops 27 of ad jacent channel members to tie the corners securely together. A bolt 28 is passed through

holes

14 and 24 and a nut 29 is threaded thereon and tightened down. The length of. the inner corner post 21 is such that when the hooks 22 are firmly seated in the loops 27 there is a gap of perhaps to A of an inch between the bottom of post 21 and the upper surface of flange 12. The tightening of nut 29 on bolt 28 closes this gap and draws the post downwardly thereby clamping channel members 19 firmly on the side walls. Since outer corner posts 20 are ofthe same height as the side walls 18 the greater, part of the load on the side walls due to the, tightening of bolt 28 and nut. 29 is borne by them, suflicient pressure being exerted on the side walls themselves" to hold them tightly against the bottom board 15.

'It will readily be seen that boxes of any size can be assembled without altering the procedure. There are no welding jigs to contentwith and no special handling or assembling procedures are required to accommodate boxes of different sizes.

Furthersince the only differencev in the metal components of boxes of different sizes is in the length of the; members, the-manufacturing processes of these members are so similar as to require a minimum of alteration in the mechanism.

In Fig. 5 the, box is shown with crosspartitions 30 erected therein running at right angles to one another, partitions 30a lying parallel to the line. along which the section is taken and partitions 30b lying at 90 thereto. As was explained earlier, the methods in general use of securing these partitions within the box are subject to several disadvantages. These disadvantages are overcome by the-persentinvention in the following manner.

When it is intended to use partitions in the box, the ends ofthe side walls are cut at a slight angle to the vertical so that when the ends of adjacent side walls are in abutment with one another, the side walls slope inwardly as can be seen in Fig. 5. The slope of the side.

walls 18 conforms to the slope of the ends of the partitions 30a and 30b as seen in Fig. 5 and the partitions are thus wedged securely in position within the box. To remove the partitions for replacement or repair or if the box is to be used without the partitions, it is merely necessary to loosen the bolts 28, remove the inside corner posts from engagement with loops 27 and bend the walls outwardly. The partitions can then be removed by lifting them vertically.

In order to produce the box shown in cross-section in Fig. 5 it is not necessary to alter the manufacturing or assembly processes. The only difference in the components of the box seen in Fig. 5 and that of Fig. l is in the slope of the ends of the side walls 18 and the length of the channel members 19. The slope and the length of these members may be varied to produce a box with side walls sloping to any desired degree.

If the box is to be built in a very large size it may be necessary to provide some sort of reinforcing for the bottom board. This can conveniently be done in the manner shown in Fig. 6. Braces which may comprise top hat members 31 or angle members 32 may extend laterally across the bottom frame resting on and secured to the horizontal flange. The bottom boards 15 are then made in two or more sections as required to fit in the available space.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides a box which attains the objects of the invention as set forth. It will be appreciated that the box can be made in any desirable size or capacity and that other changes may be made in the structure of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A box of the character described comprising in combination, a one piece rectangular metal bottom frame bent from a piece of angle material and having a horizontal flange and a vertical flange, a bottom board lying within the bottom frame and resting on the horizontal flange, the horizontal flange being provided with a hole therethrough in each corner, side walls extending up wardly from the marginal edges of the bottom board, a U-shaped channel member straddling the upper edge of each side wall, each channel member having near each end, two slits cut therein on the leg of the U lying within the box running parallel to the length of the channel member and the material between the slits being raised to form a loop, an outside corner post at each corner extending from the horizontal flange of the bottom frame between the side walls and the vertical flange to the upper edge of the side walls between the side walls and the outside leg of the U-shaped channel members and an inside corner post at each corner, each inside corner post having hooks at its upper end in engagement with the loop on each of two adjacent channel members and having at its lower end a horizontal flange provided with a hole in registry with the hole in the horizontal flange of the bottom member, and tensioning means passing through the hole in the bottom member and the hole in the horizontal flange of the inside corner post in each corner to draw the horizontal flange of each corner post into abutment with the horizontal flange of the bottom frame member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,350 Brock May 10, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 605,894 Great Britain Aug. 3, 1948 655,099 Great Britain July 11, 1951 707,758 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1954