US409699A - Box or crate - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. E. PARKS.

BOX 0R CRATE.

No. 409,699. Patented Aug. 27, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. PARKS, OF WATER'IOIVN, WVISCONSIN.

BOX OR CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,699, dated August 27, 1889.

Application filed May 21, 1889. Serial No. 311,544. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. PARKS, of WVatertown, in the county of Jefferson, and in the State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes or Crates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof;

My invention relates especially to packing boxes and crates; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be fully set forth hereinafter and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of one form of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a like view of another form, and Fig. 3 is a plan View of the slatted fabric employed in the construction of myimproved boxes and crates.

My said fabric A may be. of any width and length required, according to the size or style of box or crate desired; but in all instances it is continuous, and is formed of two end strips a a, united by wires or cords b I) Z), whose ends may be simply wound or twisted around tacks or screws 0 c c, or staples (Z (Z may be driven over the wire ends adjacent to said tacks or screws, or in place thereof, or wound around said end strips, as preferred, so long as said wires are firmly secured to said end strips, and intermediate between these end strips a a are the slats e 6, preferably of very thin wood, which are woven in and out or over and under said wires to form a filling, in a manner analogous to that shown in my patent, No. 386,157, dated July 17, 1888.

I11 my former patent just named, my boxes or crates were composed of independent sections, each section consisting of a rigid skeleton frame, with a wire or cord warp and slatted filling; but in my present device I first construct a fabric, as just described, of sufficient length to form sides and bottom of the box or case, as shownin Fig. 1,or, if preferred, the sides and bottom and top also, as shown in Fig. 2, and draw the fabric to place over end frames B B, and tack or otherwise secure it directly to the edges of said end portions, which may be rabbeted frames with thin strips of board tacked thereto, as shown in Fig. 1, or my patented box-sections, as shown in Fig. 2, or solid pieces of boards, if desired.

It is obvious that instead of using my fabric for the sides of the boxes or crates (as well as the bottom or bottom and top) I may, if preferred, make the sides of my boxes and crates of filled frames, like those in Figs. 1 and 2, or of solid boards, and put my fabric on lengthwise, so that the ends, instead of the sides, will be of my said continuous fabric; but this is so apparent thatI have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same in my drawings.

\Vhen the fabric A has been tacked, nailed, or otherwise secured to the end (or side) fram esections 13 B, I may strengthen the bottom or the end edges of the box or crate with strips O C, if desired.

The form of box or crate shown in Fig. 1 is made with an open top, to have a separate top of any preferred construction added thereto; but in the form shown in Fig. 2 the fabric A is of such length relative to the size of the end frame-sections as to form aflexible cover, which, when the box or crate has been filled, may be broughtover, and its end strip a tacked or otherwise secured to the other end strip a of said fabric at the top of the front side of said box or crate.

Inasmuch as my fabric is merely nailed or tacked to the edges of the end (or side) framesections the said fabric can be readily detached therefrom, making a knockdown box or crate of my package for storage or reshipment, and as I employ single wires or cords for my warp the said fabric can be very readily folded flat upon itself, as each warp wire or cord will be upon one side only of each slat of the filling. The said slats are placed closely together, but are not perfectly flat, because they will necessarily occupy different planes at all the points where they are intersected by the warp wires or cords, and as the latter are stretched tightly from one end strip a to the other this serves to hold the slats of the filling against anylateral displacement; and at the same time for fruit-packages a further advantage is gained by the fact that air is thus permitted to circulate about the points of the intersection of the wire or cord with the slat-filling, and thus my boxes or crates are ventilated packages, while at the same time the slats are so close together as to prevent the loss of any of the contents.

If desired, any suitable division pieces or sections may be placed within my said package, and, if preferred, strengthening-strips may be placed in line therewith outside of the box or crate, and nailed or tacked to the edges of said division-pieces through the interposed fabric A; but these details are of minor importance and may be varied in any given instance.

If desired in any instance, thin wooden strips may be used in place of the wire or cord, and the Wire, if such is used, may be round or fiat and of any size preferred, and even bandiron may be employed, if deemed necessary, as when very strong packages are desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a box or crate, the combination, with suitable end or side pieces, of a continuous fabric formed of a series of single wires, cords, or wooden strips secured to end strips and having a wooden filling woven in and out or over and under said wires, cords, 0r strips, said fabric forming the sides or ends and bottom of the box or crate in one continuous strip, and being tacked or otherwise secured to the edges of said end or side pieces, substantially as set forth.

2. A box or crate consisting of suitable end or side pieces, in combination with a continuous fabric formed of single wires, cords, or wooden strips interwoven with wooden slats, tacked or otherwise detachably secured to the edges of said end or side pieces to form the other sides or ends of said box or crate, and extending beyond said end or side pieces to form a continuous flexible cover for said box or crate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at \Vatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. PARKS.

Witnesses:

E. J. BRANDT, CARL E. EMMERLING.

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