US603388A

US603388A - Shipping-crate

Info

Publication number: US603388A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1915-05-03

Description

(No Model.)

, R. L. A'11EMPI..EMA1\I..

SHIPPINGCRATE.

No. 603,388. Patente-d May s, 1898'.

'immun @ma/who@ ROBERT L. TEMPLE/WAM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

ROBERT LEE TEMPLEMAN, OF TACKETTS MILLS, VIRGINIA.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,388, dated May 3, 1898. I

application nea August 7, 1800.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE TEMPLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at under side thereof.

Tacketts Mills, in the county of Stafford and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My inventiony relates to shipping-crates, the object of the same being to provide a simple and cheaply-constructedy device of this character which can be folded up into compact form for reshipment to its starting-point.

The invention consists of a crate made up of a rectangularbottom piece, end strips secured thereto, side strips also secured thereto, one being wider than the other, end pieces hinged to said end strips and adapted to fold inwardly, side pieces hinged to said side strips, which areunitedly of the same height as said end pieces andsaid end strips, a central partition hinged to said bottom piece and adapted to fold down into close engagement with said bottom piece, a lid or cover, and means for securing said lid or cover in place.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my device in its open position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2.V Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section with the parts in their closed positions. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lid or cover, showin g the- Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views. v

My improved crate is made up of a rectangular bottom piece 1, having end strips 2 3 secured thereto and side strips 4 5 also secured thereto, the strip 5 being slightly higher than thestrip 4. Upon the outer side serial No. 002,002. or@ model.)

the side piece 10 and the side strip 5. The inner surfaces of the

side pieces

9 and 10 adjacent to their outer ends are cut away, as shown,forming shoulders 11 1l, against which the

end pieces

7 and 8 are adapted to bear when the box or crate is in its open position. The said

side pieces

9 and 10 are further grooved, as shown at 12, along their inner surfaces adjacent to their longitudinal centers, into which grooves are adapted to fit the edges of a partition 13, pivoted to the bottom piece 1 and adapted to fold downwardly.

Secured to the outside of each of the

side pieces

9 and 10 are strips of metal 14 14, having outwardly-extending flanges or hooks 15 15 thereon, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. Similar strips 16, with hooks or iianges 17 thereon, are riveted or otherwise secured to the outside of the said strips 4 and 5, respectively. Adapted to fit upon the top surface of the side and end pieces referred to is a lid or cover 18, of exactly the same size and shape as the bottom piece`1. The said lid has secured to its under side at points near the outer ends thereof strips 19 19, of metal or other suitable material, having downwardly-extending arms or flanges 20 at their outer ends, which are perforated, as shown at 21, for engagement with the flanges or hooks 15 on the strips 14 or with the iianges orxhooks 17 on the strips 16. The said lid 18 has also secured Vto its under side supplemental strips 22 22 at opposite ends thereof, with downwardly-extending iianges 23 upon them, against which the upper ends of the

end pieces

7 and 8 are adapted to bear to prevent them being forced outwardly when the crate is in its operative position.

Staples 24 24 may be secured to the inner side of the side pieces 9 10, with which corresponding .hooks or pins 25, pivoted to the partition 13 or to the

end pieces

7 and 8, are adapted to engage.

My invention is especially adapted to be used for shipping eggs from point to point', and it is understood, of course, that lsuitable trays are inserted on the inside of the crate and that the layers of eggs are separated one from the other by sheets of paper or other suitable material.

My device in its operative position is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. v

If it be desired to throw the crate into its closed or collapsed form, the lid or cover is first removed and the partition 13 is folded down in close contact with the rectangular bottom piece 1. The end piece 7 is then folded down upon the top of the partition 13, the saine fitting closely upon said partition by reason of the fact that the height of the end strip 2 is just equal to the thickness of the partition 13. The paper used for separating the different layers of the eggs is then placed upon the bottom piece 1 on the side opposite to that which is covered by the partition 13. The end piece 8 is then folded down upon said paper, lying in a perfectly horizontal position in line with the end piece 7. The side piece 0 is then folded inwardly, with the side piece 10 resting upon its top surface; but a portion of the side piece 0 will be covered bythe side piece 10 and an uncovered space is left on the top of said side piece 0. In this space the collapsed egg-trays are adapted to be placed. Finally the lid or cover 1S is placed on top of the parts hereinbefore referred to, with the anges 23 on the strip 22 engaging the outer ends of the end pieces 7and S and with the fianges 17 on the strips 1G inserted through the openings 21 in the iianges 20. All the parts are thus locked together in a secure manner. The crate in lits collapsed condition is then adapted to be carried by hand by grasping the saine by the bail or handle G.

Having now described my invention, what I clailn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a shipping crate, the combination with a rectangular bottom piece having side and end strips secured thereto, one of said side strips being slightly higher than the other, of end pieces hinged to said end strips and adapted to fold inwardly, side pieces hinged to said side strips and adapted to fold inwardly, said side pieces and the strips to which they are hinged being unitedly of the same height as said end pieces and the strips to which they are hinged, both of said side pieces being cut away along their inner surfaces adjacent to their outer ends forming shoulders, against which said end pieces are adapted to bear, and having grooves in their inner surfaces adjacent to their vertical centers, a partition hinged to said bottoni piece adapted to fit within said grooves when it is in its raised position, and adapted to fold down in close contact with said bottom piece, pins or projections on the outside of said side strips, and of said side pieces, a lid or cover for said crate having guides or stop-pieces at each end, against which the upper ends of said end pieces are adapted to bear, and strips of metal secured to the under side of said lid or cover adjacent to its outer ends having downwardly-projecting flanges thereon with openings therein, into which said pins or projections on said side strips and said side pieces are adapted to fit when said lid or cover is in place, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a shipping crate, the combination with a rectangular bottom piece having side and end strips secured thereto, one of said side strips being slightly higher than the other, and having a bail or handle pivoted to the outside thereof, of end pieces hinged to said end strips and adapted to fold inwardly, side pieces hinged to said side strips and adapted to fold inwardly, said side pieces and thc strips to which they are hinged being unitedly of the saine height as said end pieces andthe strips to which they are hinged, both of said side strips being cut away along their inner surfaces adjacent to their outer ends forming shoulders against which said end pieces are adapted to bear, and having grooves in their inner surfaces adjacent to their longitudinal centers, a partition hinged to said bottoni piece adapted to fit within said grooves when it is in its raised position and adapted to fold down in close contact with said bottom piece, pins or projections on the outside of said side strips, staples secured to said side pieces and hooks pivoted to said end pieces, and to said partition, adapted to engage said staples, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROB". LEE TEMPLEMAN.

Vitnesses:

ALLEN W. MALLERY, Jos. M. OCoNoR.