US637844A - Fruit-package and method of packing fruits for shipment. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 28, I899. A. MVAUGUSTINE. FRUIT PACKAGE AND METHOD OF PACKING FRUITS FOB SHIPMENT.

(Application filed Mar. 2,- 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NORMAL, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PACKAGE AND METHOD OF PACKING FRUITS FOR SHIPMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,844, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed March 2, 1899. b'erial 71 (No m T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Normal, in the county of McLean, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Packages and Methods of Packing Fruits for Shipment; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a six-box crate embodying my invention, the end of the crate removed to show the arrangement of the tiers of separate or individual packages. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 2 2, Fig 1. In these two views the crate is shown inverted or in the position it occupies when the packing of the fruit is finished. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the boxes, baskets, or individual receptacles. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the basket or box, showing the cleats for retaining the bottom in place. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view of the box, basket, or receptacle, taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is adetached view of one of the partitions which is inserted between the tiers of packages of the crate. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a barrel or like receptacle and cover or closure embodying my invention as applied to an individual package shipped singly. Fig. Sis asectional perspective view of the cover or closure shown in section in Fig. '7.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Myinvention relates to the method of packing fruits for transportation and marketing and to the receptacles therefor, and has for its object to secure and maintain in the individual package, whether crated or singly packed, that facing or uniformity in the exposed surface of the package which prevents injury to the fruit in transportation and aids in the subsequent marketing thereof.

By careful selection and sizing individual packages of fruit have at the cost of much time and labor been heretofore faced and the cover of the package subsequently applied; but in such cases the facing is necessarily below the top or rim of the package when displayed for sale, which detracts from the appearance of the package, and, furthermore, facing of the fruit cannot be effected in crated fruits unless each package be provided with a separate cover, which is objectionable both from the standpoint of cost and liability of injury to the fruit in transportation. In addition to all this the facing of the individual package is liable to be disarranged or destroyed by the settling of the contents of the package incident to the rough handling in transportation to market. To overcome these several objections and to obtain and maintain a facing of the fruit in the package, Whether packed individually or in crates, I pack the fruit in reverse or through the bottom of the package or packages, the bottom being finally applied and secured, and said method embodies the main feature of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I employ a cover, or in case of crating an interposed facing-strip, which rests upon and projects beyond the rim of the passage, so that the facing of fruit projects somewhat above the riin of the package when the individual cover is removed or the receptacle removed from the crate, and such feature embodies a secondary feature of my invention.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the individual package or fruit-receptacle, any number of which may be crated in tiers, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. When shipped as individual packages, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) a cover A, adapted to rest upon and project above the rim of the package, will be provided, together with means for securing the said cover to the package. When, however, the individual packages are to be crated, usually in tiers, an interposed facing-strip a, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) extending the length of the crate, adapted to rest upon and project beyond the rims of the individual packages, the equivalent in multiple of the raised cover, will be provided, and said facingstrip is common to all the receptacles of the tier in which it is located, and in either case, as will hereinafter appear,the contained fruit will be faced and project, preferably, from one-half to three-quarters of an inch above the rim of the package or receptacle when the same is uncovered for display or sale.

For crating the individual package will preferably be a boX (or a basket such as employed for shipping grapes) having the shell serted.

In packing the fruit the bottomless shell is used, the same being inverted, the cover A (or facing-strip a) being in place, and the bottom is subsequently inserted, to accomplish which a set of cleats 4 (see Figs. 4 and 5) are usually employed, which are applied and secured to the basket after the fruit has been packed in the receptacle.

The method of packing the fruit for transportation is as follows: In case of a single receptacle, such as shown in Fig. 7, the shell A being open at the bottom and the raised or projecting cover A applied and secured, the receptacle will be inverted and packed or filled through the bottom, the first layer projecting beyond the rim (the distance being determined by the depth of the projecting cover) and being sized and faced in the usual manner, after which the succeeding layers are introduced until the package or receptacle is full,when the bottom is inserted and seen red. In the case of crating the individal packages, preferably in tiers, the crate is inverted and against the cover thereof (for the time being the bottom of the crate) afacing-strip a, preferably about one-half inch square in crosssection, is applied on opposite sides of the crate to afford a rest or support for the opposite edges or rims of the individual receptacles, so that the said rims of the receptacles are distant one-half (1%) inch, more or less, from the cover-slats of the crate. The said receptacles will when so placed within the crate be devoid of bottom, as hereinbefore noted, and the fruit will then be introduced through the bottom of each receptacle and faced against the cover or slats of the crate, succeeding rows being added until the receptacles are full, after which the bottoms of the individual receptacles will be applied and secured, as hereinbefore pointed out. For a second row or tier (see Figs. 1 and 2) a second series of facing-strips ct are applied against the bot tom edges of the first row of receptacles. If, however, the receptacles are tapering, (as in the case of grape-baskets,) somewhat wider quarter (i) inch strips a may be applied longitudinally of the crate and, if desired, may be secured to the facing-strips a, (see Fig. 6,) after which the second row or tier of bottomless shells may be arranged within the crate, the fruit faced and packed therein, the bottoms of the individual receptacles inserted and secured as before, and when the last tier of receptacles has been added the crate may be closed by means of the usual slat bottom or in any other suitable manner.

It will be noted that the same principle is applied in the packing, whether it be the individual package or the crated or multiple package which is involved-that is to say, a projecting cover is provided against which the fruit is faced by packing in reverse or through the bottom of the package.

The ad vantages derived are the uniformity settling or displacemement of the fruit in transportation can be guarded against, and as a consequence bruising or derangement of the fruit will be avoided and the fruit will not only present a better appearance,but will be in better condition when marketed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method herein described for facing and packing fruits for market which consists in applying to an open-bottomed receptacle a cover which projects beyond the rim of said receptacle so as to form a fruit-space above said rim, inverting said receptacle, introducing the fruit through the open bot-tom thereof until the receptacle is filled, and finally applying and securing the bottom of the receptacle; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a multiple-receptacle fruit-package, the combination with a crate, of a series of individual receptacles, and facing-strips interposed between the rims of the receptacles and the cover of the crate and common to all the receptacles; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a multiple-receptacle fruit-package, the combination with a crate, of a plurality of tiers of individual receptacles, and a series of facing-strips interposed between the cover of the crate and the rims of the upper tier of receptacles, and between the rims of the receptacles of succeeding tiers and the bottoms of the receptacles of the siiperposed adjacent tiers said facing-strips being common to all the receptacles of the respective tiers; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of February, 1899.

ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE.

Witnesses:

ALEX KEADY, O. A. GAPEN.

with which the fruit can be faced and all It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 637,844, granted November 28, 1899,

upon the application of Archie M. Augustine, of Normal, Illinois, for an improvement in Fruit-Packages and Methods of Packing Fruits for Shipment, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 75, page 1, the

Word passage should read package and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 5th day of December, A. D., 1899.

[SEAL] \VEBSTER DAVIS,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned C. H. DUELL,

Commissioner of Patents.

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