US434321A

US434321A - Folding poultry-crate

Info

Publication number: US434321A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1907-08-12

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

HJB. GORNISH & S. M. HIGGASON.

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE. 4 .No. 434,321. Patented Aug. 12, 1890 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. B. GORNISH & S. M. HIGGASON,

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE.

No. 434,321. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

- wmvsssgs: NMLM m5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. CORNISH AND SAMUEL M. HIGGASON, OF RUTHERFORD, TENNESSEE.

FOLDING POULTRY-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,321, dated August 12, 1890. Application filed May 13, 1390- Serial No. 351,666. (N0 model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY B. CORNISH and SAMUEL M. HIGGASON, of Rutherford, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Folding Poultry-Crate, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description. I

The objects of this invention are to provide a crate for the transportation of poultry, which will have no loose parts and which may be collapsed, when not in service as a coop, to form a compact bundle, a further object being to furnish means for securing the crate in expanded condition, which willprevent abstraction of the contents and indicate if the crate has been tampered with when in use as a shipping box or coop for live poultry.

To these ends our invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated. in. the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the Views.

Figure l is a plan view of the crate in an expanded condition. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1 at right angles to the section in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view-of the crate as it appears when collapsed. Fig. 5 is a side view representing the crate nearly folded, as it appears when viewed in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a side View of the device nearly folded, viewed in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. at; and Fig. 7 is a broken perspective View of a portion of the crate partly folded.

The crate is preferably made of metal, the sides and top being composed of flat strips of sheet metal, which may be tinned or coated with zinc by galvanic process to avoid rust and permit thorough cleansing of the crate. The bottom plate a. of the crate is also made of sheet metal cut into form which is rectangular, two opposite edges a being turned down at a right angle to the general surface, thus forming flanges that serve as feet for the crate. A center flange d of equal height with the outer flanges, is secured on the lower surface of the bottom plate, aiding to stiffen it and keep it level. The flanges a and a are of further use in that they prevent wear on the lower face of the bottom plate a and permit air to circulate below said plate when the crate is placed on the ground. On the upper-surface of the bottom plate a two angleiron strips 6 are secured, these L-shaped pieces resting with one integral flange of each upon the bottom plate near the edges of the same, which are at right angles to the depending flanges a, while the vertical flanges of the angle-strips b are located a short distance from the marginal edges of the bottom plate, thus serving to render the bottom plate rigid and affording lateralabutments for the sides 0.

The slatted top piece 61 of the crate is comprised of a series of strips of metal, as before stated, which strips are held parallel and spaced apart stably by their attachment to the channel-iron bars e, to which they are riveted or otherwise secured. Preferably four channel-bars e are employed in the construction of the top piece d, two of said bars forming borders for opposite edges of the top piece, the remaining pair of bars a being located at equal distances from the border pieces. As shown in Fig. 1, the channel-bars e are equal in length to the width of the bot tom plate a, and project a short distance outside of the marginal strips which are secured to them, said projecting ends having the Web portion which unites the parallel flanges of the channel-bars cut-away, thus permitting a jointed connection of these ends with the side walls 0, as will be further explained. The opposite sides 0 are of a similar form, and each consists, essentially, of a series of spaced strips, like those in the top piece d, which strips are transversely attached to the channelbarsc', that are adapted to lie on the outer surface of the sides 0, vertical in position, and so relatively located that their upper ends may be pivoted to the flanges on the endsof the channel-bars e that embrace the Vertical bar ends, and thus permit the sides c to, fold flat upon the top piece cl, the side channelbars 0 being embraced by the top bars 12, as

shown in Fig. 5. On the inner surfaces of the sides 0, at a proper distance from the marginal or outer channel-bars c, angle-iron strips f are secured parallel to the channelbars, the flanges of the angle-strips, which project inwardly, being suitably located to afford abntments that prevent the inward movement of other sides g of the crate.

To permit the parts of the collapsible crate to fold together closely and maintain a connection between all the pieces, the sides 9 are each divided into equal sections longitudinally.

As seen in Figs. 5 and 7, the sidesgare comprised of spaced strips and channel-bars the latter being each composed of two pieces of equal length, the upper piece having such a proportionate width to the lower piece that its flanged sides will fit and fold between the sides of said lower piece.

The channel-bar pieces g, have their flanges outwardly projected, and the flanges of the lower terminal ends of the upper section rounded on their lower outer corners, the pieces being pivoted together, so that the connecting webs of the channel-bar .flanges will have contact when these hinged portions are erected vertically, but will flex inwardly, and the upper portions fold within the lower portions when the crate is collapsed; hence the two sections of each side g may be pushed inwardly, as shown in Fig. 7, and folded compactly, as illustrated in Fig. 6, when said sides are suitably connected to the top piece (1 and bottom plate a, which connection of parts is eifected by proper hinges secured to the side sections g and top and bottom pieces (I and a, preferably, at the opposite ends of each channel-bar g.

An aperture of proper size is formed in the top piece (I of the crate near its center by the removal of a portion of one of the strips be tween the intermediate channel-bars e, and a slatted door h is hinged to one of the strips that forms a side of the aperture. The door It is of such a relative length that its ends will lie close to the side flanges of the intermediate channel-bars 6, when it is in closed adjustment, and on it a card-holder t is attached, which latter is formed from a rectangular piece of sheet metal having its side edges and one end portion folded over so as to produce flanges, between which and the plate-body a card may be inserted. The unflanged end of the card-holding plate 7 being adjacent to the side of the channel-bar, the card is retained when the door is closed, and can only be removed when the door is raised above the channel-bars.

Perforations are made through contiguous bars or strips of the door it and top piece at of the crate forthe reception of a wire loop, the ends of which are secured together by a soft-metal locking-seal, as at m, in Fig. 1, a similar provision being made to hold the lower edges of the sides 0 in closed connection with the flanges of the angle-strips b, when the crateis prepared for shipping, with live poultry-in it.

To erect the device and give it proper form for use, the top piece (Z is elevated from the base-plate a, which movement will draw the side sections g into an upright position,where they are retained stable at their joints by the inward adjustment of the sides 0 until the lower edge portions of said sides impinge against the angle-strips b, as it will be seen that when the sides a are in a vertical position the angle-iron strips f will bear against the inner surface of the jointed sectional sides g, whereby said sides are prevented from inward flexure, and the entire device rendereda substantial structure well adapted for its use.

\Vhen the crate is to packed into a compact package for return to the shipper, it is only necessary to release the fastenings'and fold the sides 0 upon the top piece (1. This will release the sides g, which may be forced inwardly, as shown in Fig. 7. The several parts of the crate are then free to be collapsed and made to assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A folding poultry-crate having its four sides and top piece made of metal strips scoured to channel-bars, two of the sides being attached to the top piece by joints in the ends of the channel-bars, and the other sides each made of two sections pivotally secured where they join, and hinged by their top and bottom edges to the top piece and bottom plate of the crate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding poultry-crate, the combination, with a bottom plate and a top piece, of two sectional sides hinged to the top piece and bottom plate, each side being pivoted where its sections join each other, to fold inwardly, and two other sides hinged to the top piece and free to fold thereon or be vertically adjusted to impinge on the sectional sides and the bottom plate near their edges, substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding crate for poultry, the combination, with a bottom plate, a top piece, and two opposite sides hinged to the top piece and free to fold thereon, each of said sides having vertical angle-pieces on their inner surfaces near their ends, which impinge on two other sides when the crate is erected,

of two sides divided longitudinallyinto equal parts pivoted to yield inwardly when the crate is to be folded, and having their top and bottom edges hinged to the top piece and bottom plate of the crate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding crate for poultry, the combination, with a bottom plate having opposite flanges depending therefrom, two angle- ILO strips secured on the plate at right angles piece and bottom plate of the crate, substanto the depending flanges, and a slatted top tially as set forth.

piece having a door hin ed over an aperture therein, of two slatted si des hinged to the top I 5 piece and impinging on the angle-strips when the crate is erected, and two slatted sides, Witnesses: each composed of two equal sections pivoted A. J. FLETCHER, together longitudinally and hinged to the top R. B. TINKER.