US3927764A

US3927764A - Stacking collar for warehousing and transporting sheet material

Info

Publication number: US3927764A
Application number: US493175A
Authority: US
Inventors: Murray J Fox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-07-30
Filing date: 1974-07-30
Publication date: 1975-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-23

Abstract

A stacking collar for receiving, holding, and transporting sheet material such as e.g., glass. In addition to being stackable the collars are collapsed or taken apart forming flat arrangements for stacking one on top of another with the parts locked in place for shipping back to the supplier, using a minimum amount of space. In one form of the invention the stacking collars are adjustable for different sizes of sheets.

Description

[ Dec. 23, 1975 United States Patent 91 Fox [ STACKING COLLAR FOR WAREHOUSING 3,307 691 3/1967 Vallebona........................... 206/45! AND TRANSPQRTING SHEET MATERIAL 3,645,389 2/1972 Castiaux 206/454 l/l973 [76] Inventor:

Andrews et Pompeo Murray J. Fox, Rte. 1 Road, Wilsonville, Conn. 06255 July 30, 1974 Appl. No.: 493,175

Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton [22] Filed:

Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman or Firm -Charles R. Fay

Attorney, Agent 521 US. Cl. 206/451; 206/386; 206/454; ABSTRACT A stacking collar for receiving, holding, and transporting sheet material such as e.g.,

glass. In addition to being stackable the collars are collapsed or taken apart forming flat arrangements for stacking one on top of anotherMith the parts locked in place for shipping back to the supplier, using a minimum amount of space. In one form of the invention the stacking col- RZ MZ NR 50 7 9 0 8 4 l2 1 l 444 6 2 %B9H; 6 5 52 6% 3 0 M D MM a 142 B u M T m m4 M6 m mm a C d L d .m h H N 5 5 l.

lars are adjustable for different sizes of sheets.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures l,940,l86 R0mine........................... 105/471 US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 1 of3 3,927,764

t im

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet2of3 3,927,764

U.S. Patant Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,927,764

Illlii ll l |ll| d S'IACKING COLLAR FOR WAREHOUSING AND TRANSPORTING SHEET MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There have been many suggestions for shipping and storing containers for sheet material such as glass panels but there still exists a problem of minimum collapsed arrangements for the collars for returning them to the supplier in order to facilitate the return operation with a minimum amount of space in the conveyance. Many devices for shipping sheets are cumbersome and difficult to handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A base unit is provided for receiving the sheets on edge, the base unitincluding sockets for the reception of detachable uprights which appear at each side of the stack of sheets.

' Once the sheets of material are in position between the uprights and mounted as stated on the base they are then strapped in position by strapping which goes all around the sheets of material, the uprights, and the base. Theuprights are also provided with sockets for the reception of'another base, uprights, etc., thereon for stacking in the warehouse. The base being substantially flat except for the sockets, etc., receive thereon theuprights which are removed from the empty collars, another base being placed thereon etc. The parts are utilized for stacking the units in place and in this way a minimum of spaceand also of labor is needed for returning the empty collars to the supplier where they may then be .again erected for further shipment or warehousing.

In one form of the invention the bases may be made of tubular telescoping material so as to be adjustable in respect to both length and width so that sheets of different sizes i.e., lengths and widths may be accommodated thereby. The uprights also may be telescopically arranged so as ro adjust for the widths of the sheets which are stacked on edge on the adjustable base. In this way any reasonable number of sheets of any length and width can be accommodated in the way above described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one of the collapsible collars loaded with a series of sheets;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an individual base;

FIG. 3 is an edge view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side view of one of the collars i.e., as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an adjustable base; and

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an adjustable standard.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIG. 2, there is here shown an open rectangular frame comprising a pair of spaced elongated

structural members

10 and 12. These may be generally of any form but channel irons provide a degree of rigidity which is desirable. At the ends of

elongated members

10 and 12 there are similar end members as at 14 and 16 welded thereto and an intermediate brace 18 as required for strength purposes.

At the corner of the frame there are provided upright sockets 20 preferably square or rectangular and the members forming these sockets are provided with depending foot members as at 22, 22. The latter are transversely formed by upwardly open channels 24 at the under sides thereof. I

There is provided a convenient floor indicated at 30 which may be of wood and which is mounted on the

frame

10, 12, 14, 16 above described. This frame provides the floor for the upright sheets of material which are indicated in general at 32, 32 being shown in phantom in FIG. 1 in order to better explain the invention. Floor 30 may be provided with

side pieces

34, 34 and

end pieces

36, 36 which can be nailed in place and serve to locate the sheets of material 32. The floor is bolted to the frame l0, l2, and this forms a unit.

Columnar uprights 38 are mounted .in sockets 20. These may be of rectangular or square tubular material with pressure pads 40 or the like if desired to engage the sides of the sheet material 32. The uprights 38 are held upright by the sockets andthemselves are provided with sockets as at 42, 42 at their upper ends. They may be connected across the top of the assembled sheets 32 by means of braces or the like 44 overlapping the ends of the uprights 38as clearly shown in FIG. 1 and being connected together in one piece forming integral fixed members engaging and holding the top edges of the sheet material parts 32. j

The uprights 38 preferably are provided with apertures 46 for receiving the strapping 50 passing along the top of each member 44 or in a longitudinal depression 52 therein holding the strapping laterally, the strapping passing through the apertures 46 around the outside aspects of the uprights 38 and into the channel members 24 which are open.

The strapping holds the entire arrangement together in a very safe and easily handled collar. ltwill be seen that the sockets 42 being open ended facing each other as at 54 the members 24 of another collar may be set in the sockets 42 and the assembled sheet material collar device as described may be stacked as high as desired for warehousing or they can be shipped that way, whereas at the same time there is room between platform 30 and the floor upon which the members 24 are set to provide for fork lift for moving the same from a packaging station or warehousing to a truck, etc.

When the sheet material and collar have reached their destination the strapping is undone and the braces 44 are removed so as to remove the sheet material for use etc. The standards 38 are then removed from sockets 20 and are laid down upon the platform 30 between the side supports 34 and can again easily be strapped in multiples for easy and minimum volume return to the factory or the supplier. The platform is conveniently notched out as for instance at 60 to accommodate sockets 20 aiding and holding the same against motion in two directions and the collars may be used many times since they are simple, easily handled, and very rugged.

Very little effort is required to erect and to collapse the collars which are the subject matter of the invention and the labor, etc., is thereby reduced in both assembling and disassembling the sheets of material where desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, it is shown how the base may be made adjustable in length and width-and the uprights in length so as to accommodate different sizes of sheet material and different thicknesses and amounts of sheets thereof.

In FIG. 6 for instance, a tubular member and a corresponding telescoping member 72 may be used to form the longitudinal side members of the base frame and any'convenient means may be utilized to lock them together such as locking pins 74 which are thrust through a convenient line of openings in the two mem bers.

Likewise the end members may be made of tubular members 76 and telescoping member 78 in the same manner so that the base frame as shown in FIG. 6 is now seen to be adjustable in length and width. In this respect another brace member 80 is welded to the cross braces 82 and one of the end members 76. In this way the frame can be easily adjusted lengthwise as well as with respect to the width thereof.

' A similar construction can be utilized for the uprights, FIG. 7, which can also be made of a telescopic member 84 and a tubular member 86 receiving the same and otherwise the construction would be more or less as described above.

With reference to FIG. 7 it will be noted that there are a pair of straps or the like 88 which are applied to the uprights in such a way as to provide for the reception of straps 90 which can be turned upon themselves and clipped or crimped as at 92 so that therefore it will be seen that the strapping does not extend under the bottom deck of the collar as is indicated in dotted lines, see 50 in FIG. 5. However the strapping 90 does however, see FIG. 7, extend over the top of the collar and down the other side to a similar situation where the strapping is again reversed and crimped or clipped.

I claim:

1. A collapsible collar of the class described comprising a generally flat base, means forming pairs of sockets at certain edges thereof, a stack of sheet material positioned on said base, a pair of separable standards inserted into each said pair of sockets means at the tops 4 of said standards securing the same together including strapping extending completely around said stack of sheet material on the base, under the base, and down along the standards at opposite sides of the base,

braces extending between each pair of standards,

means in the braces receiving said strapping, channel members under the base, each channel being connected at its ends to one of said pair of standards, and sockets at the tops of the standards adapted to receive the channels of a similar collar stacked thereabove.

2. A collapsible collar of the class described comprising a generally flat base, means forming pairs of sockets at certain edges thereof, a stack of sheet materials positioned in said base, a pair of separable standards inserted into each said pair of sockets at right angles with respect to the base, means at the tops of said standards securing the same together including strapping extending completely around said stack of sheet material on the base, under the base, down along the standards at opposite sides of the base, said base and through apertures at the upper ends of each said pair of standards, comprising tubular members and corresponding telescoping members for adjusting the size of the base, said telescoping members extending laterally and longitudinally of the base, said standards including tubular telescoping members, a cross member connecting the lower ends of each said pair of standards and having a channel therethrough receiving said strapping, and a pair of open-facing sockets on the upper ends of each pair of standards adapted to receive the cross member of a similar collar stacked thereabove.

Claims

1. A collapsible collar of the class described comprising a generally flat base, means forming pairs of sockets at certain edges thereof, a stack of sheet material positioned on said base, a pair of separable standards inserted into each said pair of sockets means at the tops of said standards securing the same together including strapping extending completely around said stack of sheet material on the base, under the base, and down along the standards at opposite sides of the base, braces extending between each pair of standards, means in the braces receiving said strapping, channel members under the base, each channel being connected at its ends to one of said pair of standards, and sockets at the tops of the standards adapted to receive the channels of a similar collar stacked thereabove.