US2964210A

US2964210A - Knockdown container

Info

Publication number: US2964210A
Application number: US621771A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert A Paley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-11-13
Filing date: 1956-11-13
Publication date: 1960-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1977-12-13

Description

Dec. 13, 1960 A. A. PALEY KNOCKDOWN CONTAINER Filed Nov. 15, 1956 AWN 40 f 4 45 5 a u 6 VVAV,.AV.AVZ f0 flG WWG wGi V/AVHAVMAV My wwg wme u #0 m n k R.. F y 3, Mm m 0 Wow 3 1 mm A m M M w a 5 M @2 2 4p L, 410 Z 6 v V 2M United States Patent KNOCKDOWN CONTAINER Albert A. Paley, 84-31 125th St., Kew Gardens, N.Y.

Filed Nov. '13, 1956, Ser. No. 621,771

10 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to carrying containers adapted to be supplied to the user in knocked-down or disassembled condition.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved, knockdown-type container or carrier for articles of merchandise, which may be readily fabricated by existing equipment in the form of separate components or parts, and which may be easily and quickly assembled at the time of use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, carrying-type container as above set forth, which is light in weight, and extremely strong and sturdy despite its knockdown construction.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved carrying-type container as above set forth, which may be readily economically molded of plastic or plastic-like materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved container as above outlined, wherein the separate components or parts may be completely, speedily assembled without requiring the use of tools.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel container as characterized, which is so constituted that plurality of such containers when completely assembled and either filled or empty, may be readily stored or stacked one upon another.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved container of the type described, wherein damaged or broken parts or components may be easily and quickly discarded and replaced by new similar components, thereby reducing maintenance costs and loss from breakage.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved, carrying-type container as above set forth, which is ideally suited for use as a case for bottled goods.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever possible in the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an improved knockdown container made in accordance with the invention, said container being illustrated completely assembled.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, enlarged, of a corner portion of the container.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a lower portion of the container, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 4, but showing a wall panel in the process of being attached to the bottom plate of the container.

2,964,210 Patented Dec. 13, 1960 As shown, the carrying-type container of this invention comprises a bottom plate generally designated by the numeral 10, having a plurality of marginal edges constituting its periphery, one such marginal edge being indicated at 11 in Figures 4 and 5. The container further comprises a plurality of

side panels

13, 14, 15 and 16, there being the same number of side panels as the bottom plate 10 has marginal edges, in this case, four.

By the presentinvention, novel means are provided for joining the lower or bottom edges of the side panels 13-16 to the bottom plate 10, and for joining juxtaposed side edges of the side panels to each other. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, cooperable interlocking means are provided on the marginal edge 11 of the bottom plate 10, and on the bottom edge 18 of the side panel 13. This means comprises a tongue-and-slot connection, which may be interlocked by relative broadside angular movement between the bottom plate 10 and the side panel 13, as indicated in Figure 5.

Preferably, as shown, the bottom edge 18 of the side panel 13 has a pair of upper and

lower flanges

20, 21, and the lower flange 21 has an upturned lip 22, thereby forming a slot 23 which is partially closed. The upper flanges. 20 have inwardly facing abutment shoulders which engage the outer marginal edge portions 11 of the bottom plate 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Also, the lower flanges 21 have undersides or bottom surfaces which merge with the lower edges of the

side panels

13, 14, 15 and 16, said lower edges of the side panels and undersurfaces of the flanges 22 being adapted to engage a floor surface or the like, to support the container thereon. The bottom plate 10 at the marginal edge 11 has a downwardly-extending flange 25 on which there is carried a semicircular tongue 26, said tongue being adapted to be received in the slot 23 of the side panel 13. Also, the lower flanges 22 of the side panels 1316 have upwardly facing, elongate abutment surfaces adapted to engage the downwardly extending flanges 25 of the bottom plate, said upwardly facing surfaces and the lower flanges 22 which have said surfaces constituting abutment shoulders which carry the weight of the bottom plate 10, all as clearly shown in Fig. 4. It will be readily seen that, to assemble a side panel to the bottom plate, the panel is first held flat with respect to the plate and thetongue 26 placed in the slot 23. The side panel is then swung upward, using the tongue 26 as a pivot, as indicated in Figure 5. During such movement the

flanges

20, 21, lip 22 and bottom edge portion 18 of the side panel 13 will be'made to yield slightly. Upon completion of the movement, as illustrated in Figure 4, the said parts may resume their normal positions, and the side panel 13 will be securely locked and retained on the bottom plate 10. All four of the

side panels

13, 14, 15 and 16 are assembled to the bottom plate 10 in the same manner, and said side panels are provided with mitered

side edges

27 and 28 engageable with each other to provide a tight, mating fit.

Also, in accordance with this invention, I provide cooperable interlocking means between the side edges of the side panels 13-16, by which such side edges may be securely locked to each other so as to enable the panels and bottom plate to constitute a fully assembled and rigid container. In accomplishing this, referring to Figure 3, I provide mutually

engageable ribs

30 and 31 on the'side edges, said ribs having a shape such that when they are placed together, back-to-back, they constitute a dove-tail rib. I further provide locking strips 33 having dove-tail grooves 34 and concave surfaces 35, said looking strips being disposed at the four corners of the con tainer and being positioned by sliding them downward over the dove-

tail ribs

30, 31. With this organization, the side edges of the side panels 13-16 may be easily, quickly and securely locked together so as to enable the panels, together with the bottom 10, to constitute a rigid, box-like container.

It will be appreciatedthat theprocedure of attaching the side panels 13-16 to the bottom. plate maybe very easily and quickly carried out without theuseof tools, and thereafter the procedure. of.insta;lling the corner locking strips 33 is quickly andeasily carried. out, again'without the use of tools, whereby the .entire boxlike container is very easily assembled, even byan unskilled person.

The bottom plate-10 may be providedwith a. plurality of spaced, downwardly extending ribs 37 which are adapted to 'engagethesupportingmsurfacefor the container, thereby to bear some of theweight placed on the bottom plate. Between the ribs .37, openings 38.may be provided, to enable any liquid or moisture .to run. out of the container.

I further provide partition-members 40, Figures land 2, in the form of elongate strips havingdoublewalled, diamond shaped portions 41, and having triangularend .portions 42, said end portions being receivable in. U-shaped nests43 disposed on the inner surfaces of the-larger .pair

of the side panels 14, -16. Itwill be apparent ,that the partition strips'dl! may thus be easily and' quickly slipped into place, resting by virtue Of thC-fOI'CE of gravitycnthe lower transverse portions of the nests .43. The

side panels

13, 15 may further be provided withpositioning means 45 in the form of strips having curved portions 46, corner portions 47, andbase-portions 48'bywhich latter the strips 45 may be-isecured to the

side panels

13, and 15.

The various components as above illustrated and described may be easily, quickly and economically fabricated as molded plastic-partsyand any suitable cement or adhesive maybe employedwhere-such parts are to be united,*as is the casewith the positioning-strips 45 and

side panels

13, 15, and the nests-43 and side-

panels

14, 16.

For the purpose of'enabling a number of containers to be stacked or stored one on top ofanother, I provide on the side panels 13--16, outwardlyofiset rim or lip-portions 50 I thereby forming supporting shoulders 51 on which the bottom edges of a'superposed container may be supported for stacking purposes. 'Also, I-provide in the

side panels

13, 15, hand openings 53 by which the containers may be readily carried and manipulated.

It will be understood that, in accordancewith this invention, I have provided by the above'construction a greatly simplified, knockdown, carrying-type container suitable for many purposes, as inparticular for the carry ing and storing of bottled goods. Thecontainer is strong and sturdy, light in weight, and its use Will greatly reduce maintenance costs inasmuch as damage to any ofthe components does not require discarding theentire container, but instead merely replacementiofthe damaged component.

Variations and modifications may be; made within the scope of the claims, and portions .of -the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: a

1. A knockdown container comprising a bottom plate having a plurality of marginal edge portions provided with downwardly facing, elongate abutment shoulders extending along said edge portions; aplurality Of'SldS panels equal in number to the marginal edge portions of the bottom plate and havingbot-tom'edge portions mating and' engageable with saidtmarginal edge-portions, said bottom edge portions having upwardly facing,ielongate abutment shoulders engaging the first-mentioned .abutment shoulders of the bottom plate andpc'arrying the weight of the bottom plate, and having downwardly facing supporting surfaces constituting the lower edges of the side panels and adapted to engage a floor surface or the like to support the container thereon; cooperable, releasable interlocking means on said mating edge portions, holding the side panels against outward movement, said means comprising elongate tongue-and-slot connections characterized by mutually engaging and abutting surfaces of said tongues and slots which extend substantially in planes parallel to the respective side panels, said connections thereby holding the side panels to the bottom plate against relative outward movement at the said bottom edge portions, said side panels having engageable side edges; and a plurality of locking, strips, one for each pair of engageable sideedges of the side panels, said locking strips and side edges having cooperable interlocking means releasably holding the side edges of the side panels together.

2. The invention as defined in-claim 1 in which there are four marginal edges on the bottom plate, in which there are four side panels, and in which there are partitions extending between one pair of opposite side panels, andseparableconnections between the ends of saidpartb tions and thesaid pair of side panels.

3.;The invention asfdefined in claim 2 in which there are positioning strips for holdingindividual articles of merchandise, carried by the other pair of, side panels, said strips being disposed at the same level as the said partition strips.

4. The invention as definedin claim 1 in whichthe tongue-and-slot connections comprise slots disposed adjacent the bottom edges of the. side panels, and tongues disposed onthe marginal edges of the bottom plate.

5. The invent-ion as definedin claim 4, in which the outer surfaces of the side panels are substantially flat and planar, and in whichthe slots adjacent the bottom edges thereof. areformed by pairs of inwardly. projecting upper and lower flanges.

6-. The invention as defined in claim 5 in which'there are upturnedlips on the lower flanges, havingthe said upwardlyfacing abutment shoulders.

7.. Theinvention .as'defined in claim 1 in which the 7 bottom plate has a plurality of spaced, depending ribs for engagement with a supporting surface to brace' the plate. :8. The invention vas definedin claim 7 in which the bottom plate has perforations disposed between the said ribs to lighten the plate and provide for egress of moisture from the container.

9. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the said locking strips have dove-tail grooves, and in which the cooperableinterlocking means on the side edges of the side panels compriseribs having a shape such that when two juxtaposed ribs are brought together they constitute a dove-tail.

. IOQAknockdown container comprising abottomplate having a pluralityof ,marginal edge portions provided with downwardly-facing:elongateabutment shoulders extending along said edge portions; a plurality'of side panels equal in numberto the marginal edge portions of the bottom plate and having bottom edge portions mating and engageable with said marginal edge portions, said bottom edge portions havingupwardly facing, elongate abutment shoulders engaging the first mentioned abutment shouldersof the bottom plate and carrying the weight of the bottom plate, and having downwardly facing supportingsurfaces constituting thelower edgesof the side panels and adapted to engage a floor surface or thelike to support the container thereon; cooperable releasable releasably holding the side edges of the side panel to- References Cited in the file of this patent gether, said tongue-and-slot connections comprising slots UNITED STATES PATENTS disposed ad acent the bottom edges of the side panels and tongues disposed on the marginal edges of the bot- 851,097 Krllse 1907 tom plate, the outer surfaces of the side panels being 5 1' Keith 9 substantially flat and planar, and the said slots adjacent 1196380 Mofiett 1916 the bottom edges being formed by pairs of inwardly pro- 1,252,489 Pearson 1918 jecting upper and lower flanges, there being upturned lips 2,160,631 Y May 1939 on the lower flanges, and said lips having the said up- 2,182,201 Hams 5, 1939 wardly facing abutment shoulders of the said tongues be- 10 2,643,788 Burrows J 3 9 3 ing semi-circular in cross section. 2,758,742 Farrell Aug. 14, 1956