US3106308A

US3106308A - Bottled beverage case

Info

Publication number: US3106308A
Application number: US169892A
Authority: US
Inventors: Julian C Kazimier
Original assignee: Amos Thompson Corp
Current assignee: Amos Thompson Corp
Priority date: 1962-01-30
Filing date: 1962-01-30
Publication date: 1963-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-08

Description

Oct. 8, 1963 l 1. c. KAzlMlER- 3,106,303

BOTTLED BEVERAGE CASE l Filed Jan. 3o, 1962 2 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1963 J. c. KAzlMn-:R I 3,106,308

' BOTTLED BEVERAGE CASE Filed Jan. so, 1962 2 sheets-sheet 2 Fig. 3.

INVENTOR JULIAN C. KAznmER United States Patent O 3,106,308 BOTTLED BEVERAGE CASE Julian C. Kazimier, Edinburg, Ind., lassignor to Amos- Thompson Corporation, Edinburg, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,892 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-21) This invention relates generally to cases for bottled beverages and in particular to a molded case formed of plastic material such as, for example, high impact strength styrene, polyethylene or the like.

The wooden, bottled soft drink case has lon-g been utilized in the bottling industry, and automatic equipment associated therewith is designed, as to various tripping mechanisms, to accommodate cases of standard dimensions. The conventional wood cases, and metal or molded plastic cases intended to supercede the wood cases, have often utilized internal partitions to provide bottle receiving compartments. Use of such partitions multiplies the number of dirt and debris collecting corners in the case, and particularly in wood cases, these corners prevent satisfactory steam cleaning. Since soft drink cases are often delivered directly to homes, not to retail stores as is the case with milk cartons or bottles, the cleanliness and appearance of the soft drink case is a matter of great importance.

Another difculty involved in the use of conventional wood cases results from the marring Ior defacing of the trademark or legend customarily placed on the side panels of the case. This defacing occurs frequently even during normal transport and usage of the cases andbrings about more case replacements than does fracturing or other failure of the case itself. Where attempts have been made to replace wood cases with internal partition type molded plastic cases, thermal shrinkage of the partitions as the case cools after molding produces a soalloping or wavy contour on the relatively thin case side walls. This irregular side wall surface prevents use of a simple hot-stamping process to place the required legend or trademark on the casing side walls and necessitates use of relatively expensive decalcomania methods or the like. Y

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottled beverage case which is light in weight, which can be fabricated by a simple, direct molding process and which is characterized by an absence of sharp corners throughout, thereby facilitating cleanliness during prolonged use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a molded beverage case of the type referred to which utilizes an apertured top plate, rather than internal partitions, the plate being supported centrally by registering bosses or projections on the plate and on the case bottom to provide rigidity to the case.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a case of the type referred to in which the apertured top plate can be snapped into or out of overlying relation to the open, upper face of the case.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a case of the type referred to in which the case side walls or panels are inset to prevent marring or defacing of the legend imprinted thereon in normal usage of the case.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description `and the claims.

FIG. `1 is a perspective view of a case embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the -lne 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the case shown in FIG. 1 with the top plate removed.

FIG. 4 isa fragmentary side sectional View similar to ice FIG. 2 but illustrating a modified form of the invention characterized by a snap-in securing of the top plate.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, a crate or case embodying the present invention is shown generally at 10. As may best be seen in FIG. l, the case is composed of a body, generally rectangular in conguration, having an open upper -face which is closed by a top plate 11. The top plate is provided with a series of bottle receiving apertures 15 which are oriented with respect to certain interior parts, to be subsequently described, to provide bottle compartments. The body also includes an integral base ball 12, side walls 13 and end walls 14.

The side walls and end walls have their

central portions

13a and 14a inset with relation to the corners or junctional areas 16 of the side walls and end walls. As may best be seen in FIGS. l, 2 and 3, the upper marginal areas of each of said side and

end walls

13 and 14 are flanged outwardly and upwardly adjacent the inset central portions, the outwardly flanged portion being identified at 17 in FIG. 2 and the upwardly extending portion being identilied'at 18. The outwardly flanged portion 17 provides a horizontal shelf area adjacent the inset portions of the side and end walls which, as will be evident from FIG. 2 support the marginal areas of the top plate 11. The upper marginal section of each of the upwardly extending portions 18 is thickened to provide an inwardly extending lip 19 which functions to retain the plate 11 in position against the horizontal shelf area of the portion 17 of the body.

The inset portions 14a of the end walls are provided with hand grip apertures 21 and adjacent Ithe end margins of the hand grip apertures the body end walls have integrally molded therein generally triangular flanges 22. The flanges 22 define a central portion of the outwardly anged portion 17 which is shaped as indicated at 23 in FIG. 2. From FIG. 2 it will be evident that this central length of the hanged portion 17 is molded so as `to extend downwardly away from the adjacent horizontal shelf area to provide a hand grip abutment at the upper margins of the hand grip apertures 21.

. As will be evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, the base wall 12 of the body is provided with raised portions 26 of frusto-conical configuration, each of the raised portions being provided with an aperture 27. As may best be seen in FIG. 3, the base wall 12, on its inner face, is crossed by ribs 28. The base wall 12 is further provided with drainage aperture 29 `spaced across the expanse of the base wall. At the junctions of certain of the ribs 28 tubular,

vertically extending bosses 31 are provided, the orientation of the bosses 31 being such as to cooperate with the apertures 15 to provide bottle receiving compartments, a typical soft drink bottle being indicated by broken lines in FIG. 2. The bosses 31 are integrally molded in the body 4and are -tubularor hollow for conserving material and also to provide cavities for reception of feet or bumpers 32 (FIG. 2) which are inserted into the open end of certain of the bosses 31 as required. The feet 32 are preferably formed of a somewhat resilient material such as rubber or the like which will provide considerable sliding friction with relation to a conveyor belt or other relatively smooth surface upon which the case might be placed. The non-skid characteristic imparted to the case by the presence of the feet 32 solve a diculty present in prior molded cases which, because of their hard, smooth base surface Itended to skid or slide out of place when deposited onan inclined supporting surface.

Extending downwardly from the underfaoe of the topy FIG. 2. The lugs 34 are longer than the bosses or abutments 33 and make end-to-end engagement with the upper ends of certain of the upwardly extending bosses 31 to provide support in the central area of the top plate 11. lt will be understood that the number of lengthened lugs 34, providing central support for the plate may be varied as required by molding the top plate 11 so as to provide more or less lengthened lugs 34 in place of the shorter bosses 33.

The integrally molded body and its accompanying top plate just described may be molded from an elastomeric material which is somewhat flexible and when so molded it will be evident that the top plate, while held in place during normal usage, can be installed or removed by deforming it somewhat and snapping its marginal edges past the lips 19 formed on the upwardly extending portions 18 of the side and end walls. Where the body and its accompanying top plate are molded of a more flexible material, a modified arrangement for securing the top plate to the body is illustrated in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4 parts having the same configuration as those of FIGS. 1 3 are given the same reference numerals.

Referring to FIG. 4, the horizontally extending portions 17 are provided with integral, upwardly extending lugs 41 and these lugs register with and are received in apertures 42 formed in the top plate 11. The upwardly extending portion 43 of the side and end walls of the body (this portion corresponding to the portion 18 of FIG. 2) is devoid of the lip portion 19 referred to with respect to FIG. 2 and the top plate 11 is not deformed in seating of the plate on the horizontal shelf portion 17. After the plate 11 is in place on the shelf portion 17 the lugs 41 are peened over as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 4 to retain the plate in place.

From the foregoing it will be evident that a beverage case embodying the present invention can be molded from a simple, direct molding process. The resulting case is light and strong. The insetting of the side panels provides a protected area upon which the trademark legend of the particular beverage company utilizing the case may be accommodated. Since there are no internal partitions within the case, there are no sharp corners to make cleaning of the case difficult and the absence of partitions further eliminates any irregularities in the inset side panels thereby permitting the trademark legend to be inscribed thereon by relatively inexpensive hot stamping processes. The corner or junctional areas 16 are dimensioned so as to be equal to the dimensions of the conventional wood case and the molded case is thereby interchangeable with wood cases in various automatic transporting and conveying equipment. A slight draft along the length of the junctional area 16 permits empty cases to be stacked and the frusto-conical, concave configuration of the underface of the base wall 12 of the case permits stacking of the full cases with the bottle tops of the underlying case contacting the base wall of the overlying case adjacent the apertures 27. The presence of the apertured top wall provides the required stability to the bottles in the case and adds rigidity to the case. The provision of registering

bosses

31 and 34 extending from the inner faces of the top plate 11 and the base wall 12 further serve to rigidify and support the central area of the top plate. The presence of the hand grip abutments 23 adjacent the upper margins of the hand grip apertures 21 adds to the convenience and comfort of one handling loaded cases. The arrangement for securing the top plate on the body of the case, particularly the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1-3, permits the top plate to be easily and conveniently installed and removed for cleaning of the case. v

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A bottle crate of the molded plastic type comprising a rectangular body having an open upper face and an integral base wall, side walls and end walls, the central portions of said side walls and end Walls being inset with relation to the corner junctions of said side and end walls, the upper marginal areas of each of said side and end walls adjacent said inset portions being flanged outwardly and upwardly to provide a horizontal shelf area adjacent said inset portions of the side and end walls, the upper marginal section of each of said upwardly anged portions being thickened to provide an inwardly extending lip, hand grip apertures in the inset portions of said end walls, said shelf areas immediately above said hand grip apertures being deformed downwardly to provide a hand grip abutment at the upper margins of said apertures, a series of tubular bosses extending vertically upwardly from said base wall and spaced to provide bottle retaining compartments, and a top plate closing the open upper face of said body, said top plate yhaving a series of apertures therein oriented with respect to said tubular bosses to retain bottles in the bottle compartments, said top plate being deformable to snap past said inwardly extending lips and to be retained thereby in overlying relation to said horizontal shelf areas, said top plate having depending bosses thereon registering with and in end-to-end engagement with certain of said tubular bosses to provide central support for said top plate.

2. A bottle crate of the molded plastic type comprising a rectangular body `having an open upper face and an integral base wall, side walls and end walls, the central portions of said side walls and end walls being inset with relation to the corner junctions of said side and end walls, the upper marginal areas of each of said side and end walls adjacent said inset portions being flanged outwardly and upwardly to provide a -horizontal shelf area adjacent said inset portions of said side and end walls, hand grip apertures in the inset portions of said end walls, said shelf areas immediately above said hand grip apertures being deformed downwardly to provide a hand grip abutment at the upper margins of said apertures, a series of bosses extending vertically upwardly from said base wall and spaced to provide bottle retaining compartments, and a top plate closing the open upper face of said body, said top plate having a series of apertures therein oriented with respect to said base wall bosses to retain bottles in the bottle compartments, means for retaining said top plate in overlying relation to said horizontal shelf areas, said top plate having depending bosses thereon registering with and in end-to-end engagement with certain of said base Wall bosses to provide central support for said top plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,410,251 Taurman Oct. 29, 1946 2,574,983 Reed Nov. 13, 1951 2,758,742 Farrell Aug. 14, 1956 2,970,715 Kappel et al. Feb. 7, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,980 Belgium v June l5, 1956

Claims

1. A BOTTLE CRATE OF THE MOLDED PLASTIC TYPE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BODY HAVING AN OPEN UPPER FACE AND AN INTEGRAL BASE WALL, SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS, THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS BEING INSET WITH RELATION TO THE CORNER JUNCTIONS OF SAID SIDE AND END WALLS, THE UPPER MARGINAL AREAS OF EACH OF SAID SIDE AND END WALLS ADJACENT SAID INSET PORTIONS BEING FLANGED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY TO PROVIDE A HORIZONTAL SHELF AREA ADJACENT SAID INSET PORTIONS OF THE SIDE AND END WALLS, THE UPPER MARGINAL SECTION OF EACH OF SAID UPWARDLY FLANGED PORTIONS BEING THICKENED TO PROVIDE AN INWARDLY EXTENDING LIP, HAND GRIP APERTURES IN THE IN SET PORTIONS OF SAID END WALLS, SAID SHELF AREAS IMMEDIATELY ABOVE SAID HAND GRIP APERTURES BEING DEFORMED DOWNWARDLY TO PROVIDE A HAND GRIP ABUTMENT AT THE UPPER MARGINS OF SAID APERTURES, A SERIES OF TUBULAR BOSSES EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARDLY