US3061135A - Carboy crate - Google Patents

Description

J. A. MARTIN CARBOY CRATE Oct. 30, 1962 Filed Jan. 25, 1960 3,061,135 Patented Oct.30, 1962 3,061,135 CARBOY CRATE John A. Martin, St. Johns, Mich, assignor to Carrier Stephens C0., Lansing, Mich, a corporation of Michigau Filed Jan. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 4,551 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-19) The present invention comprises a carboy carrier or crate and more particularly is directed to a new and improved wire crate wherein the arrangement of the base structure and vertical support members results in greatly improved economy of production, minimization of material, improved base strength, and makes possible substantial increase in the rate of production.

In the material handling field the most awkward materials to be handled are chemicals, acids, alkalis, salts, and solutions which are placed in well known large carboys. In some instances, the carboys are glass or metal. In other instances the carboys are prepared from resins such as polyethylene and the like. In all instances, the carboys resembling large flasks or bottles, cannot be stacked and care must be taken to avoid breakage or puncture during handling. A variety of materials have been applied to the encasement of such bottles or carboys. The art includes wooden framing, Wicker encasement, and steel crating. The present invention falls into the latter category and comprises a wire structure or encasement so that the carboy, when inserted in the crate, is fully visible, can be tilted with the crate for pouring, and the crate cushions the bottle or carboy against chance breakage. The instant invention comprises an improvement of the structures set forth in United States Letters Patent 2,330,982; 2,541,972; 2,766,899, and 2,766,900".

The present device is distinguishable over the prior art carboy crates in that the polar pairs of vertical rod supports, forming a part of the carboy suspension peripheral support, are splayed or bent at the base to provide diagonal support to the corners of the base portion thereby permitting a substantial simplification in structure, an increase in base strength, and a material reduction in crate cost. The vertical compressive stresses are transmitted into the rectangular base in a resilient manner so as to impart excellent flexural stress absorption characteristics in the finished crate.

The vertical rods forming the carboy support pocket are circumscribed by a plurality of spaced apart metal rings. The cornermost pairs of the vertical pocket rods are splayed to connect with the upper and lower rectangular or square wire frame elements. This structural integration results in a very strong crate having top and base members which are very resistent to deformation.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is the improvement of rod stock carboy crates so as to strengthen the base portion of the crate while maintaining a cylindrical bottle pocket and wherein the members defining the bottle pocket distribute the compressive stresses on the crate to the external rectangular base member at the corners. This is extremely important in vertical stacking since the lowermost crate receives the cumulative stresses from the tiered carboys and crates.

Another object is to minimize the cost of assembly while maintaining requisite carrier strength.

Still another object is to provide an improved support base which diagonally receives stresses from the bottle pocket members.

Other objects including controlled flexure of the crate, both as to outer and inner members, simplicity, amenability to increased production, and rugged serviceability will become increasingly apparent to persons familiar with the material handling art as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a crate embodying the present invention with the bottle retaining ring in position as if retaining a bottle in position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the crate shown in FIGURE 1 as viewed from the pouring opening side.

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view of the base portion of the crate as shown in FIGURE 1 but having the vertical rods severed above the lowermost ring member for clarity.

Description The present invention comprises a plurality of spaced apart outer rectangular formed rod enclosures each in spaced register with the next lowermost. The spacing interval is maintained by corner vertical members thus forming an openwork rectilinear outer frame structure. A plurality of circular rings are located in spaced apart parallel relation inside of the outer frame. A plurality of spaced apart vertical members secured to the inside of said circular rings define a cylindrical bottle pocket frame inside the outer frame.

The cornermost pairs of the vertical cylinder forming members are splayed downwardly and outwardly below the lowermost ring member to diagonally connect with the lowermost rectangular member, thereby interconnecting said cylindrical bottle pocket with said outer frame. Splaying is also accomplished at the top of the crate and above the uppermost ring member in the same corner positioned pair of pocket forming vertical members, their upper terminal connections being with the upper rectangular rod frame.

A grid is established across the base or lowermost rectangular rod frame by the crossing of two sets of spaced apart rods. Overlaying the grid is a centered rod ring forming a bottle thrust transmitting pedestal. The base ring is centered on the axis of the cylindrical carboy bottle pocket.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in FIG- URE 1 a carboy crate 11 in accord with the present invention, is illustrated. The crate 11 comprises an inner cylindrical bottle pocket 12, an outer rectilinear frame 13, and a pouring opening 14 allowing the crate 11, when containing a carboy (not shown) to be tilted on its base for pouring. A bottle retaining ring 15 spans the cylindrical bottle pocket 12 at the upper portion thereof to retain a carboy from chance withdrawal from the pocket 12. Wire clasp members 16 accomplish the positioning of the retaining ring 15 against the belling neck portion of a carboy or bottle when inserted in the crate 11.

A square wire base member 17 is provided. A plurality of similar square members 18, 19, 20 and 21 are provided in spaced apart parallel register with the base member 17. The uppermost square members 20 and 21 are gapped to provide the pouring opening 14. The square member 21 forms the top frame. The spaced apart interval between square outer frame members 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 is maintained by the heavy vertical rod corner posts 22, 23, 24 and 25 which are welded to the base frame 17 at the corners thereof. The posts 22, 23, 24 and 25 extend upward vertically and are connected to each of the intermediate square frame members 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21. The corner posts 22, 23, 24 and 25 are provided with hook ends 26, 27, 28 and 29, respectively, which extend above the top frame 21 at the corners thereof. As will be appreciated these hook ends 26, 27, 28 and 29 are welded diagonally across the corners of the top frame 21, thereby forming upstanding stacking lugs. The posts 22, 23, 24 and 25 therefore lean slightly from the vertical. Circular wire ring members 30 and 31 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the side of the square frame are interposed in spaced apart vertical register in the square frame. These rings 30 and 31 are retained in spaced register by full vertical pairs of rods 32, 33; 34, 35; 36, 37 and 38, 39. These full rods are connected to the inner sides of said rings 30 and 31 as by welding at their transverse intersection and are also connected to each of the intermediate square members 18, 19 and 20 as well as being terminally connected to the upper or top and base frame members 21 and 17, intermediate the corners thereof, except for members 38 and 39 which terminate at the upper ring 31 to assist in providing the pouring opening 14.

The vertical splayed corner member pairs 40, 41; 4 2, 43; 44, 45; and 46, 47 are also connected to the inside of the ring members 30 and 31, but are splayed outwardly therefrom to connect at the top to the top square frame 21 and at the bottom to the square base frame 17. This arrangement results in a diagonal bracing of the pocket 12 in relationship to the rectangular or rectilinear outer frame 13 at the upper and lower corners thereof.

The base member 17 is provided with a wire grid bottom built up of two horizontally positioned spanning rods 48 and 49 and two transversely provided grid rods 50 and 51. The grid rods are terminally welded to the frame 17 and the grid rods 48 and 49 are jogged downwardly where they cross grid rods 50 and 51, the jogs 53 providing a nest for rods 50 and 51 and also providing a plurality of support feet in elevational register with base frame 17. A bottle support ring 52 centered on the axis of the bottle pocket 12 provides a ring support for carboys positioned in the pocket 12. The support ring 52 is welded to the grid rods 48, 49, 50 and 51 offset from their intersections with each other.

In construction the prefabricated and gridded base member 17, top member 21 and intermediate outer frame members 18, 19 and 20 are easily prefabricated and fixed in assembled spaced relation as by the posts 22, 23, 24 and 25. The cylindrical pocket 12 is prefabricated by securing, as by welding, the full vertical members 3239, inclusive, to the ring members 30 and 31.

The splayed members 40-47, inclusive, being longer in length than the vertical members 32-39, inclusive, are positioned in polar pairs inside the rings 30 and 31 and are welded thereto. The thus formed inner frame is positioned inside the outer rectilinear frame and is centrally secured therein by splaying the members 40-47 (toward the vertical corners) above and below the rings 31 and 30 to connect with the upper and lower frame members 21 and 17 at the diagonal positions indicated at the frame corners as indicated in the drawing. As will be appreciated from FIGURES 1 and 2, the vertical pair of members 38 and 39 have their upper terminal connection at the upper ring 31. The square frame members 20 and 21 are gapped on one side, as indicated, to provide the pouring opening 14.

The resultant structure is much cheaper to produce than prior art steel wire crates and the base member 17 and top members are increased in strength without increase in crate weight. The indicated splaying of corner positioned vertical members reinforces the top and base members while providing a resilient integration as between outer rectilinear frame and inner cylindrical frame. The present device is very amenable to high production and low cost by reason of the prefabrication which is practiced in respect to the base, and inner and outer frames. The present crate has increased resistance to torsional stresses and deformation tendencies are transmitted to the vertical members forming the inner bottle pocket without localization on the carboy surface.

While the preferred material forming the elements of the present device is steel wire and rod stock, other materials having similar strength characteristics such as resin and light metals may also be used. Where desirable, the crates may be dip coated or the like to resist corrosion and deterioration.

Having thus described my inventive improvement in carboy crates those skilled in the art will immediately appreciate obvious improvements and modifications. Such improvements and modifications are intended to be included in the present specification limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claim.

Iclaim:

An improved carboy crate comprising:

(a) a plurality of square wire members in vertically spaced apart relation, each occupying parallel horizontal planes;

(1;) vertical corner wire rods secured substantially at the corners of each of said square wire members and extending above the uppermost of said square wire members;

(0) a plurality of circular wire members in registering vertically spaced apart parallel relation within the enclosure defined by said square members, each having a diameter of a length substantially equal to the length of a side of said square wire members, the uppermost of said circular members being parallel to and below the uppermost of said square members, the lowermost of said circular members being parallel to and above the lowermost of said circular members;

(d) pairs of spaced parallel vertical support wires arising from within each of said square wire members each wire of said pair equally spaced from the midpoints of each side of said square members, said pairs being within said circular members and secured thereto;

(e) pairs of corner splayed rods secured one on each side of the corners of the lowermost square member, bent inwardly to internal contact with the lowermost of said circular wire members and rising vertically to registering internal contact with the uppermost of said circular wire members and thereupon splaying outwardly from said uppermost circular member to fixed contact with the vertically registering points of the uppermost of said square members in respect to the corners of the said lowermost square member;

(f) and a bottom grid peripherally defined by the lowermost of said square members and having crossed wires supported by the lowermost of said square members and including a centered circular wire ring concentric about the center of said lowermost square grid and secured to the tops of said grid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,643,407 Florance Sept. 27, 1927 2,330,982 Martin et al Oct. 5, 1943 2,541,972 Wallace Feb. 13, 1951 2,670,984 Arthur Mar. 2, 1954 2,766,899 Wallace Oct. 16, 1956 2,766,900 Wallace Oct. 16, 1956

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