US3159299A

US3159299A - Pallet bins

Info

Publication number: US3159299A
Application number: US319872A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rawle David
Original assignee: CLINCH TITE CORP
Current assignee: CLINCH TITE CORP
Priority date: 1963-10-29
Filing date: 1963-10-29
Publication date: 1964-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-01

Description

D. RAWLE PALLET BINS Dec. 1, 1964 Filed Oct. 29, 1963 United States Patent Ofilice 3,159,25'9 FALLET BENS David Rawle, Berwyn, Pa., assignor to Clinch-Tite Corporation, Berwyn, Pa., a corporation of Eelaware Fiied Got. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 319,872 7 Claims. (CH. 217-43) This invention relates to pallet bins and the like in which a collapsible box enclosure rests upon abase, to define a volume for storing and Shipping materials, and to collapse when not in use to save space. This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 193,532 filed May 9, 1962.

In many instances of Shipping and storing materials, it is necessary that the enclosures be secured to their bases to prevent inadvertent Collapse an-d to provide a stable support for further enclosures and pallets to be stacked on top. It is necessary that the means for securing the enclosures be inex ensive and simple to secure. In the prior art numerous devices have been employed, but every one has been objectionabile either from the standpoint of being too expensive, or in employing loose parts or tools which can be lost, or in requiring too much time and care in securing and releasing the enolosure from its base. It is therefore a principal object of the inVent-ion to provide a simple and inexpensive device which is permanently attached to the enclosure and enables the enclosure to be quickly Secured to and released from its base.

Another objective is to provide such a device which can also serve to secure covers and doors of the enclosures.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a pers ective View partly broken away of an enclosure resting upon a pallet, with two of the qu-ick release devices in position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of one of the devices alone;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. l, taken on line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, of another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a devioe of the invention seouring a door relative to an enclosure panel; and

FIG. 7 is a .perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. l, a collapsible enclosure rests upon a pallet 14, the enclosure oornprises four panels i2 joined together by helix hinges 16 into a collapsible unit. Each of the panels comprises a multiplicity of structural vertical slats 18 joined together at their upper and lower ends by horizontal cleat members 29. The pallet 14 comprises top and bottom decks 22 and 24, respectively, and spacedapart stringers 26 joining the decks together.

In the embodiment of FIG. l, two quick looking and release devioes, 23 and 25, on one panel of the enolosure cooperate with two permanently stationary clamps 27 and 29 on an opposite panel, to secure the enciosure to the pallet. Each quick looking and release device is an extremely simple .pivoted clamp. It is comprised of two 3,159299 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 right angle to it, and .an actuating lever 38 extending from the upper end of the pivot portion at a right angle thereto, the Iactuating lever 38 being displaced outwardlly about the axis of the journal a substantial angle A (FIG. 3) relative to the looking portion 36. The rod member 32. is locked against relative vertical movement with respect to the journal, this being accomplished by the right angle portions at each end of the pivot portion 34. As shown in the dotted lines in FIGS. l and 2, when the lever 38 is grasped and turned to extend outwardly at an angle to the plane of the panel, the looking member 36 can extend parallel to the panel plane and outside and below the edge of the pallet deck 22. When the enclosure is to be locked to the pallet, the actuating lever 38 is turned towards the cleat 20, moving the looking portion 35 under the edge of the deok 22. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, When the actuat-ing lever 38 lsies substantially in the plane of the panel, the looking portion 36 engages the undersurface 22' of the pallet deck 22. The journal member 30 extends downwardly from the cleat 20, and engages the outer edge 22 of the top deck of the pallet, restraining the panel from inward movement relative to the top deck. v

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the means defining the journal does not extend below the upper surface of the top deck, but the elongated pivot portion 34' does, and this portion engages the edge of the top deck, to restrain against horizontal movement.

Referring to FIG. 5 only actuating rlever 38' engages the journal at an angle in this embodiment, relative vertical movement between the rod member and the journal is restrained with the deck in plane whenv the deck is equal in thickness to the amount 35 that the pivot portion is longer than its journal. In this embodiment, When not in use, the pivot portion 34' clan be moved upwardly to conceal the llower part of the rod member. Another advantage of this embodiment is that a shim can be inserted under the Ilever 38 to accommcdate pallet decks that are thinner than the standard.

Referring to FIG. 1, the looking member can be positioned to engage the stringer 26, to restrain also against horizontal movement in its direction.

The aotu-ating lever 38 is adapted to be secured to the panel of the enclosure when the device is in llooking position. To this end the lever 38 is .preferably made of an elongated steel rodgthat has such a diameter a-s to have resiliency. The end of the rod is bent'downwardly to form a securing portion 40 which in ,the unstressed or normal oondition of the lever, extends below the upper edge of the lower cleat 20 so that the cleat is in the normal path of movement of the securing portion. The resiliency of the rod is nufficient to enable the lever to be bent upwardly as shown in-FIG. 2, so that the securing portion di) can be moved over the uptper edge of the cleat. The inne-r surface 20' of the cleat (FIG. 3) serves asa 1 catch surface to engage the securing portion 40.

The slats 18 are spaoed apart near the outer end of the lever 33 permitting the securing portion 40 to move over elements, a oontinuous member 32 preferably formed by a Constant cross-section rod bent into a special form and an elongated journal 31) mounted on the lower cleat Zti, the journal axis extending vertically, positioned slightly outside the part of the panel that correspond-s the cleat 20 to'alignrnent with the catch surface which it engages when theupward force which fiexes lever 38 is released. Equa-lly, where loose material is packed that does not permit such spacing of the slats atthis point, a vertical hole 41 (FIG. 5) is provided in` the upper surface ofthe cleat into which the seourin-g portion Kw of the rod can be inserted to secure'the devioe.

. The slat'edge la is an abutment positioned to engage the lever 38 intermediate its ends before the securng portion "swings inwardly sufficiently to engage the catch surface. Therefore, the lever is resiliently bent about that edge'and the rod is under tension when securing portion 49 is pressed inwardly to engage catch Vsurface 20'. Ac-

`corclingly, when'the securing portion 40 engages the catch dicuiar to said slot, said cross-slot in registry with said lever, said lever comprising two integral portions set at an angle to each other, said integral portion closest to said pivot portion adapted to move in said cross-slot and to engage one end thereof when said lever is in locking position.

6. The pallet box enclosure of claim 1 wherein said securing means is in the form of a hand encircling a structural Component of said enclosure, and adapted to encircle said lever portion when said lever portion is in its looking position, to secure said lever portion substantially in the plane of said panel.

7. The enclosure of claim 6 wherein said band is of resilient material and is adapted to be slipped over the end of said lever to secure it in place, said lever having means spaced from the pivot portion to prevent inadvertent disengagement of said hand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 78,715 Armour June 9, 1868 853,383 Thoms May 14, 1907 2,961,113 Kienlen Nov. 22, 1960 10 2,981,433 Kordowski Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 132,904 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1919 235,798 Great Britain June 25, 1925

Claims

1. A PALLET BOX ENCLOSURE HAVING A PALLET BASE AND A PLURALITY OF SIDE PANELS COLLAPSIBLY SECURED TOGETHER FOR SUPPORT UPON SAID PALLET BASE AND AT LEAST ONE QUICK RELEASE LOCKING DEVICE TO LOCK AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID PANELS AGAINST THE UPPER PART OF SAID PALLET BASE, SAID LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED PIVOT PORTION ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID PANEL IN A JOURNAL MEANS, THE AXIS OF WHICH LIES IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PANEL, THE LOCKING DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST SAID PIVOT PORTION PROTRUDING BEYOND THE EDGE OF SAID PANEL AGAINST WHICH DEVICE SAID PALLET BASE CAN BEAR LATERALLY, A LOCKING PORTION AT SAID PROTRUDING END OF SAID PIVOT PORTION EXTENDING AT A RIGHT ANGLE THERETO, AND AN ELONGATED ACTUATING LEVER PORTION AT THE OTHER END OF SAID PIVOT PORTION EXTENDING AT A RIGHT ANGLE THERETO, THE LEVER PORTION BEING DISPLACED OUTWARDLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID PIVOT PORTION A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID LOCKING PORTION SO WHEN SAID LEVER PORTION IS MOVED INWARDLY TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID PANEL SAID LOCKING PORTION EXTENDS AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID PANEL TOWARD SAID PALLET BASE AND IS OPPOSED TO THE CORRESPONDING PANEL EDGE, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID LOCKING PORTION ENGAGING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SURFACE OF SAID PALLET BASE TO SECURE SAID PALLET BASE AND THE EDGE OF SAID PANEL TOGETHER, AND RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS OPPOSING THE ROTATION OF SAID LOCKING DEVICE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID PIVOT PORTION WHILE SAID LOCKING DEVICE IS IN ITS LOCKING POSITION.