US2920807A

US2920807A - Integral cleat container

Info

Publication number: US2920807A
Application number: US654301A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert M Bruce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-04-22
Filing date: 1957-04-22
Publication date: 1960-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1977-01-12

Description

Jan. 12, 1960 R. M. BRUCE INTEGRAL cum CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1957 IRJVENTOR R. M. BRUCE vzZZ' ATTORNEYS Jan. 12 1960 R. M. BRUCE 2,920,807

INTEGRAL CLEAT CONTAINER Filed April 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R. M. BRUCE BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1960 R. M. BRUCE 2,920,

INTEGRAL CLEAT CONTAINER Filed April 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Shet s FIG. 6

INVENTOR R. M. BRUCE BY W WJf-Z' ATTORNEYS Unitdf stats i 2,920,807 7 INTEGRAL CLEAT CONTAINER Robert M. Bruce, E mi in ne. Application April'22,'1957, Serial No. 654,301 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-33 This invention relates to the packaging and handling of commodities, and more particularly to containers of various kinds designed both to hold products but also to-protect-the same from injury whiletso held during storage and equipment.

In the container fieldthere are almost, as many kinds of packages as there are products and there are almost as many materials used as there are packages. This is not unexpected because more and more, with the progress of science, the packaging of products to obtain maximum protection at minimum cost has become almost standard procedure.

One of the most widely used containers today is a corrugated box the use of whichhas increased phenomenally over the years. This increase may be attributed both to improvement in materials employed and to the design of the package enabling gradual increase in the weight of the loads carried. When corrugated and solid fiber boxes began to prove inadequate they were constructed of heavier materials, and thereafter the container was strengthened by ,theaddition of reinforcing cleats in the corrugated, the fiberboard, the plywood, andthe .wire bound containers. The change-over to the cleated container was. not sharply defined but was over a rather wide and overlapping period determined by the load to be carried and the conditions to which the package is intended to be subjected in handling, transporting, storing, and warehousing.

and bottom members reversely disposed and with wood reinforcing strips disposed lengthwise of the bottom;

Fig. '5, a perspective of slightly modified container in which the reinforcing folds of the front and rear sides of the body are internal instead of external as in the preceding figures and in which the top is composed of a pair It is an object of the invention to provide a container of simple and inexpensive construction, which can be readily manufactured from readily available materials, and which is of greater strength and durability than containers heretofore in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container of corrugated or solid fiberboard integrally reinforced and capable of being used where loads are heavier and it is necessary that the container be of greater strength due to such loads as well as having the capacity for being readily stacked in warehouses, handled by fork-lifts, and of withstanding severe transportation conditions. r

Another object of the invention is to provide an integral cleat container which includes reinforcing folds or ribs located where maximum strength and resistance to stress are desired and in which the parts may be united by adhesion, staples, or interlocking of the parts and also a container in which the side and end portions may be integral or separate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention fabricated from a single blank;

Fig. 2, a similar view of a container having separate top and bottom members inset;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a perspective of a container having separate top container the walls of which, where the greatest stress is' likely to be imposed, are reinforced by stiifeners or cleats integral with or independent of the walls of which the container is formed and with the reinforcing folds joined by adhesive or by staples or other fasteners and with the reinforcing ribs optionally coated for strength and for resistance to weather.

With continued reference to the drawings, the container of the present invention comprises sides 10 and 11,

ends

12 and 13, a bottom composed of half-

sections

14 and 15, and a top composed of half-sections 16 and 17, the

end 12 is provided with

flaps

18 and 19 and the end 13' is provided with

flaps

20 and 21. The sides, ends, top and bottom may be formed of a single piece of material and the container is reinforced around each end and around its center where maximum stress is likely to be encountered. Such reinforcement comprises increased thickness. For example, the end 12 has a terminus'12' and the opposed portion of the ends are provided with a series of folds 22. Thereafter, the blank extends along the side 10 and is provided with a central group of folds 23 and end folds 24 at the remote extremity of the side 10, the material of the blank then forms end 13 and the end. folds 25 on thte side 11 which also has central folds 26 at the center of the side 11 and the final'grou'p of reinforcing folds 27 where such side joins end 12 of the container. Each group of folds provides arcinforcing cleat for preventing bulging ofthe container while permitting stacking of the containers without damage to the contents.

The side 11 has a bottom flap 14 and a top flap 16 which form half of each the bottom and top of the container, the bottom flap having transverse end flaps 28, central reinforcing folds 29 and remote end reinforcing folds 30, while the top-section 16 has end reinforcing folds 31, central reinforcing folds 32, and remote end reinforcing folds 33.

In like manner the bottom 15 and the top 17 are provided with corresponding transverse reinforcing folds.

The container of Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1 except that it is composed of side portions 10' and 11' and

end portions

12 and 13, all of a single piece of material beginning at the near edge of the end 12' as in the preceding figure, such end having reinforcing folds 34 fastened together by adhesive 35 and staples or other fasteners 36. At the back edge of the end 12 the material of the blank is provided with a series of reinforcing folds 38 and a similar series of folds 39 along the center of such side and at the opposite end with reinforcing folds 40. Likewise the end 13' is provided with reinforcing folds 41 and the side 11' is provided with reinforcing

folds

42, 43 and 44.

A closure 45 is employed for closing the top and bottom of the container such closure having reinforcing

ribs

46, 47, 48 and 49 fastened in place by staples 50 or other Patented Jan l 1960 corrugated or solid fiberboard scored for fasteners. Closure 45 has a compartment within the confines of the same composed of the main body of the closure and the outwardly turned edges thereof.

In Fig. 4, the container is the same as that of Fig.

2, however, the opposed closures 51 are slightly different,

the longitudinal reinforcing folds 52 along the edges being internally disposed while the transverse

end reinforcing folds

53 and 54 are externally disposed, and the bottom of the container is supported by a pair of reinforcing bars 55 for added strength.

In Fig. is disclosed a container in which the

transverse reinforcing folds

56, 57, 58, 59, 60 and 61 are located within the container instead of exteriorly thereof, asfolds 22 to 27 inclusive as in Fig. 1.

In'Fig.6 is disclosed a blank 62 of fiberboard, corrugated board, or the like having fold lines 63 to facilitate the folding of the blank.

Figs. 7 to 14 inclusive illustrate various ways in which the blank 62 may be folded to provide reinforcement for'the walls and joints of the container requiring reinforcement as shown in Fig. 7. This blank is provided with multiple folds 164 fastened together by means of adhesive 65 and staples 66.

In Fig. 8 the structure is the same except that a cap or cover strip 67 has been added.

In Fig. 9 the blank 62 is provided with a series of folds 68 which are spaced apart and receive a complementary member composed of multiple folds 69 with .staples 70 holding them together.

In Fig. blank 62 is provided with a pair of spaced folds 71.and 72 which fit into a multi-folde'd member having 4 folds 73 the outer two of which receive the folds 71 and 72 with the parts fastened together aspreviously described including staples 74.

In Fig. 11 the blank is folded so that it will have opposed pairs of folds 75 and 76 parallel to the body of the blank.

In Fig. 12 the structure is similar to that of Fig. 11 except the blank is provided with only one pair of folds, namely

folds

77 and 78 in opposed relation along the blank 62.

In Fig. 13 the blank 62 is provided with a fold corresponding with that of Fig. 12 except along the center of the integral connection there is formed a dovetail fold 79 providing in effect a triple fold.

In Fig. 14 the blank 62 has a pair of U-shaped folds 80 and 81 parallel to each otherand to the sheet which forms the blank 62,.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a container is provided which is reinforced where required so that it will be suitable for materials of various kinds. The container may be made of a number of different materials capable of withstanding heavy loads, warehouse stacking, fork lift handling and severe transportation conditions. Basically, it is a design whereby structural stilfeners or cleats are made directly from the container blank itself. As the folds are made and secured with adhesive or staples or both, they may be used plain or coated or dipped for stiffening, as well as for strength and water resistance.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit andscope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed. is:

1. A strong fiberboard container of substantially rectangular cross-section having fiat side and end walls with unobstructed inner surfaces thereof, all of the side walls thereof being provided with a plurality of like integral folded portions secured together in face to face relation and projecting outwardly-therefrom intermediate the ends of the side walls and being perpendicular to the outer face of said side walls to provide reinforcing ribs on therouter surface of said side walls, at least two of the side walls being integral along the hinge line and said reinforcing ribs being substantially severed at said hinge line and forming a right angular notch thereat wherein the hinging of said side walls is permitted.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the ends of said side walls have similarly formed reinforcing ribs, the outer face of said last named ribs being secured tothe edges of the adjacent end walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,063,845 Weiss June 3, 1913 1,132,292 Weiss Mar. 16, 1915 1,132,293, Weiss Mar. 16, 1915 1,667,793 Mauser 'May 1, 1928 2,164,517 Greve "July 4, 1939 2,792,166 Brooks May 14, 1957