US3512188A - Foldable and erectable enclosures - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1970 A. SALAMANDYK ETA- 3,512,188

FOLDABLE AND ERECTABLE ENCLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. l2, 196'? United States Patent O FOLDABLE AND ERECTABLE ENCLOSURES Alexander Salamandyk and Metro Mihychuk, Winnipeg,

Manitoba, Canada, assignol's to Flatfold Articles Manufactun'ng Limited, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 689,964 Int. Cl. E03d 13/00 U.S. Cl. --99 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foldable enclosure having a base with a pair of side components pivotally secured thereto and a front and rear components which are also pivoted to the base. The pivotal arrangement is such that the side and front and rear components can be folded inwardly upon the base so that they fold flat in overlapping planar relationship and also include means whereby when they are erected, they can be secured to one 'another without the use of tools or nuts and bolts.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in enclosures which are adapted to be either in the erected position or, alternatively, in the stored or transportable position.

There are many such enclosures in common use which satisfy these requirements. However, these enclosures normally require tools not always readily available to the purchaser and are fastened into the erected position by means of nuts and bolts and the like. These enclosures are often accompanied by a relatively involved instruction sheet, the details of which leave much to be desired.

Sometimes these enclosures are foldable but it will be appreciated that an enclosure which includes a base, a front and rear side, and two sides, cannot fold flat or in overlapping planar relationship and are therefore extrernely bulky to transport and to store.

The present device overcomes all of these disadvantages by providing an enclosure which consists of a substantially rectangular base component having a pair of side components pfivotally secured adjacent the ends thereof. A front and rear component are provided which are also pivotally secured to the front and rear sides of the base respectively and the pivotal connection between the side components, the rear and front components, to the base component are arranged so that these four components can fold downwardly upon the base and lie in overlapping planar relationship with the base.

Further, means are provided to readily secure the front and rear components to the side components when in the erected position, without the use of tools or nuts and bolts and the like.

With the foregoing in view, and all those objects, purposes or advantages which may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept'embodied in the method, process, construction, arrangement of parts, or new use of the same, as herein particularly exemplified in one or more specic embodiments of such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of my device in the erected position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view showing one of the resilient clips on the front and rear components which engage the side components.

FIG. 3 is a topy plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the enclosure in the folded or stored position.

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 1.

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FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the enclosure in the erected position.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different igures.

Before describing the details of construction, it will be appreciated the enclosure illustrated and described can be used for many purposes.

For example, it can be used to store garbage cans or it can be used to store firewood or the like. Alternatively, and with the use of suitable materials in the manufacture thereof, it can be used as a babies crib.

Irrespective of the purpose for which it is used, the device is easily erected without the use of tools and, alternatively, easily folded downwardly for convenient storage and transportation inasmuch as it takes up the minimum of space when in the folded position.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, the device consists of a base component collectively designated 10, a pair of side components collectively designated 11, a front component collectively designated 12 and a rear component collectively designated 13.

In detail, the base component is substantially rectangular when viewed in plan and is preferably made from tubular steel or the like.

It includes spaced and parallel front sides 14 and spaced and parallel ends 15.

The sides 14 are welded to the ends as illustrated at 16 so that the cylindrical ends 17 of the ends 15 are exposed. Spaced and parallel brace members 17 extend between the ends 15 thus making the aforementioned substantially rectangular base component.

The end components in this embodiment, are preferably made in inverted U-shape configurations from one length of steel tubing thus forming an upper horizontal rail 18 and a pair of spaced and parallel vertical sides 19.

The front component 12 includes the upper horizontal rail 20 and a pair of downwardly dep-ending substantially spaced and parallel vertical members 21 welded by their upper ends thereof to the horizontal member 20.

The rear component includes an upper horizontal rail 22 and a pair of downwardly and outwardly diverging diagonal members 23, said diagonal members |being secured as by welding to the horizontal member 22, by the upper ends of the diagonal members.

The aforementioned cylindrical ends 17 of the ends 15 of the base component 10 are plugged and drilled and screw-threaded. Lugs 24 are welded to the sides 19 of the end components 11 and extend inwardly therefrom. These lugs are drilled and pivot bolts 25 extend through these drillings and into the aforementioned screw threaded drillings in the plugged ends 15. It is desirable that the lugs 24 are welded to the sides 19 spaced from the lower ends 26 of the sides so that when in the erected position, the portions 27 of the sides 19 act as legs thus supporting the base component 10 in spaced and parallel relationship above the supporting surface upon which the device is erected.

These lugs 24, being oifstanding inwardly from the sides 19 permit the sides to be folded inwardly upon the base and to lie substantially parallel upon the base component 10 when in the folded position as shown in FIG. 4.

Means are provided to pivotally secure the front and rear components y12 and 13 to the lbase and it is necessary to arrange these pivotal mountings so that when in the folded position upon the folded side components, the front and rear components also lie substantially parallel with and upon these side components also illustrated in FIG. 4.

This is accomplished by providing an inverted U-shaped pivot pin 28 welded to the front and rear members 14 of the base component 10 and extending upwardly so that the horizontal portion 29 of the pivot pin 28 lies v-in' spaced and parallel relationship above the Sides 14.

Bearing sleeves 30\ are secured upon the lower ends of the vertical v:braces or`members 21 and thesesleeves engage around the horizontal portions 29 of the pivots 28 as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

Similar pivots are provided upon the rear side 14 of the base frame and similar bearing sleeves 30 are provided upon the lower ends of the diagonals 23. However, it will be appreciated that the horizontal portions 29 of the pivots upon the rear member 14of the base are higher than the horizontal portions 29 of the pivots 28 situated upon the front member 14 of the base. This permits the front side to be folded downwardly upon the base and then the rear side or component andpermits 4both components to lie substantially parallel with the base when in the folded position.

Means are provided to detachably secure the front and rear components to the side components 11 when in the erected position. In this present embodiment, U-shaped resilient spring clips 31 are secured upon the ends of the upper rails or members 20 and 22 of the front and rear components respectively and these spring clips snap around the vertical sides 19 of the side components 11 when the device is in the erected position and as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6 of the drawings.

It will therefore be appreciated that the device can rapidly and easily be erected or folded downwardly without the use of tools or elaborate instructions.

Finally, it will also be appreciated that, if desired, caster wheel assemblies 32 may be secured within the ends 26 of the sides 19 thus enabling the enclosure to be rolled easily from one location to another.

What is claimed to vbe thefpresent--invention 1. A foldable enclosure comprising a rectangular base component having a pair of side edges and a pair of end edges, a pair of side components and a pair of end components pivotally connected to vthe respective side edges and end edges of said base component, f said side'components and end components being normally disposed in vertical planes for coaction with' the base component in defining an enclosure but being foldable into 'horizontal superposition upon one anotherl and upon the base component when the enclosure is folded, said end components including tubular side members,` and resilient clips provided at the ends of said side components, said clips being releasably engageable with the tubular side members of said end components to sustain the enclosure in its erected condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Collins 5-82 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner i A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 5-33 1

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