US658349A - Crate-fastening. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 25, |900.

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NITE-D STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER WI-LL DAMN, QF MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS;

CRATE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,349, dated september 25, 1906.

Application filed dune 27,1900. .Serial No. 21,824. (No model.,`

T0 all whom, it may concern/f Be it known that I, SYLvEs'rER WILL DA- MON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Titus and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Crate-Fastening, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crates in general, and while it has been particularly designed as an egg-crate it will be understood from the following description that the principles involved may be applied to a crate for any other purpose, the object of the invention being to provide a construction wherein the top of the crate will be held firmly in place and may yet be easily and quickly applied and removed, the result being that after the contents of the crate have been removed the cover may be quickly secured in placeto prevent loss'of the cover during the return of the crate or the loss of any cellsthat may be placed therein.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in bothviews, Figure l is a perspective View showing a crate having a cover provided with the fastening means. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through a portion of the cover and showing the construction and arrangement of the locking means.

Referring now to the drawings, the body portion of the crate is of usual construction and comprises sides 5 and 6 and ends 7 and 8, to which is secured the usual bottom.

The cover of the crate comprises end cleats 9 and 10, having a length equal to the width of the crate and to the upper edges of which are nailed or otherwise secured to top boards 11 and 12, these cleats when the cover is in place being adapted to rest'upon the crosspieces 0r cleats 13 and 14:, which are secured to the outer faces of the ends of the body of the crate and transversely thereof. 18 and 14 form also the handles, by means of which the crate is lifted and carried.

In the ends of the crate-body and at suitable points above the cleats 13 and 14 there are formed perforations 15, there being in the present instance two of these perforations in each end of the crate-body, and these perforations are adapted for engagement bythe The cleatsV locking-bolts which hold the cover in place. The locking-bolts in question consist of pins 16,` of which there are two for each end of the crate, and these pins are adapted to slid= ably engage perforations 17 in the cleats 9 and 10, which aline with the perforations 15 when the cover is in place.-

In order to hold the locking pins or bolts yieldably in their operative positions,a spring= plate 18 is fixed midway of its ends to the outer surface of each of the cleats 9 and 10, the ends of this plate extending beyond the perforations in the sills and said plate being bowed outwardly between its central attached portion and each end of the plate. At or near the ends of the spring-plates 18 are formed perforations, and with these perforations are engaged the outer ends of the pins or bolts 16, said pins or bolts having shoulders which rest against the inner faces of the spring-plates, while their outer ends are upset against'the outer faces of the plates to hold the pins rigidly in place. These pins and plates are-so connected and disposed that when the' pins are drawn from the alining perforations and released the pins will not renter the perforaltions, but will strike the cleats 9 and 10 beyond the perforations therein and will engage the recesses 20 at the outer sides of the perforations. These recesses also providefor permitting insertion of the lingers beneath the ends of the spring-plates when the pins are to be disengaged.

With this construction it will be seen that the cover may be readily applied and removed and at the same time when the cover is in place it is held securely against accidental displacement, the entire device being simple and cheap and extremely efficient in its operation. Furthermore, when the bolts are disengaged they automatically lock themselves in their disengaged positions, so that the cover may be quickly slipped into place, after which the pins or bolts may be inserted to lock the cover on the crate.

It will be understood that in practice vari? ous modifications of the invention shown may,

be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of thev invention.

` It will be noted that when the pins are en- IOO gaged with the perforations the spring-plate is bowed, and when the pins are drawn from such engagement the plates expand and hold the pins with their free ends in the recesses beyond the perforations. In order to rengage the pins, the plates must first be bowed. The pins are thus held locked when disengaged, so that they will not prevent ready application of the cover to the crate.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a receptacle having a locking perforation of a cover having a perforation disposed to aline with the perforation in the receptacle, a spring-plate xedto the cover and a pin fixed to the plate for engagement with the alining perforations, the distance between the fixed point of the springplate and the point of attachment of the pin being greater when the pin is disengaged, than the distance between the fixed point of the spring-plate and the perforation of the cover, whereby when the pin is engaged with the perforations the spring will be bowed, and when the pin is disengaged, the spring will hold it with its engaging end beyond the perforation of the-cover. i

2. The combination with a receptacle of a cover, said receptacle and cover having perforations for alinement, a plate Xed between its ends to the cover, a pin engaged with each end of the plate and adapted for engagement with corresponding alining perforations, and recesses in the cover beyond the perforations thereof, said plate being adapted to hold the pins in engagement with the recesses when disengaged from the perforations.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

sYLvEsTER WILL DAMoN.

Witnesses:

M. J WALLACE, E. J. LILIMAN.

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