US728617A - Collapsible box or crate. - Google Patents

Description

- No. 728,617. fATENTED MAY 19, 190.3.

c. RICHTER.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX 0R CRATE. APPLICATION I'ILBD AUG. 25, 1902.

Fay-1 /6 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

aw c' PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

0. RICHTER.

COLLAPS'IBLE BOX OR- CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1902. Q

a sums-sum 2. l4

l zy-5' H0 MODEL.

No. 728,617. PATENTED MAY 19, 1903;

0. RICHTER. GOLLAPSIBLE BOX 0R CRATE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG. 25, 1902.

I0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

15 J2 o i m UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE RICHTER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK ,v ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY,OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, AND CHICAGO, ILLI- NOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX OR CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,617, dated May 19, 1903.

, Application filed August 25, 1902. Serial No. 120,932. (No model.)

To all whom it rncty concern: 7

Be it known that I, CLARENCE RICHTER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Syra-' cuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes or Crates, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to collapsible or [O knockdown boxes or crates intended for the shipment or storage of goods of various kinds and of that class wherein the boxes or crates after having been emptied of their contents are adapted to be returned to the shipper in I 5 a compact form for reuse. The object of my invention is to provide an improved box or crate of this character characterized by increased simplicity and economy of construction, facility of manipulation, and strength and reliability in use as compared with boxes and crates of this type hitherto known.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1-is a top .plan view of my improved box or crate as the same appears when packed and ready for shipment. Fig. 2 is 'an end elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of the floor or bottom member of the box. Fig.5 is a simio lar view showing the end and side walls of the box erected upon the bottom or floor.- Fig. 6 is a plan View of the top or cover ofthe box, showing the same inverted and loaded with the knocked down side and end walls pre- 3 5 paratory to return shipment of the box. Fig. 7 is an edge elevation of the box as it appears when collapsed and assembled for return shipment; and Figs. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views in planes at right angles through the collapsed box as shown in Fig. 7, illustrating the preferred relative disposition of the side and end Walls between the top and bottom members of the box.

Referring to the drawings,10 designates the bottom or floor member of the box, and 11' the top member or cover. The box, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is square in outline; but it will be readily understood that Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.-

the same may and in many cases will be of a rectangular formation other than square, and for convenience in distinguishing the parts I designate the vertical members 12 as the side walls of the box and the other vertical members 13 as the end walls. To the end margins of the bottom 10 are applied a pair of narrow vertical strips 14, and to the side margins of the same are applied a similar pair of narrow strips 15, thus constituting entirely around the edges of the bottom 10 a short vertical flange. To the top or cover 11 are similarly applied end marginal strips 16 and side marginal strips 17, thus constituting a short depending marginal flange on the cover, the flanges of the bottom and top being preferably of the same or substantially the same height and having a combined height somewhat in excess of the combined thickness of the end and side walls of the box when directly overlaid, as shown in Figs. 6, 8, and 9. One parallelpair of walls, herein shown as the end walls 13, are made of a length to fit the end margins of the bottom I between and abutting endwise the side strips 15 and longitudinally contacting the end 7 strips14, as plainly shown in Fig. 5, while the remaining pair,constituting the side walls 12, are made of such a length as to snugly fit between and abut endwise the extremities of the end walls 13, said side walls when thus positioned lying in snug longitudinal contact along their lower margins with the side flanges 15 of the bottom.

In order to retain the vertical side and end walls of the box in the operative relation to each other already described, I preferably apply transversely to the inner faces of the end walls 13, near their extremities, vertical strips 18,(see Figs. 5,6,and 8,) which are so'positioned as to engage the inner faces of the side walls 12 at the extremities of the latter and confine the side walls at their ends between the strips '18 and the marginal side flanges 15 and 17 of the bottom and top members of the box, respectively. It will thus be seen that the parts 18 perform the double function of guide and retaining strips for the side walls of the box and of transverse cleats for the end walls, which latter thus strengthened are enabled to be made considerably thinner than the side walls.

My invention constructed as thus far described is complete and operative for its intended purpose; but in order to brace the vertical walls of the box,'as well as to provide a simple and expeditious means for securing the elements of the box rigidly in assembled position and preventing the removal of the cover, I preferably apply to the bottom member of the box, at the opposite sides thereof, a pair of foldable pivoted braces in the form of wire bails 19, the ends of which are secured by staples 20 or any other convenient means, which permits the bails to swing between a position upon and parallel with the plane of the bottom to an upright position at right angles thereto and contacting the inner faces of its flanges, and in order that these bails when raised may lie outside of the side walls 12 I provide grooves 21 in the inner faces of the flanges 15, so located that the side members of the bails will lie therein just flush with the outer surfaces of the side walls 12, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:.

In assembling the box the bottom member is laid upon the floor or any other suitable horizontal support and the end walls 13 are set up therein, after which the bails 19 are raised to upstanding position and the side walls 12 inserted with their ends abutting the inner faces of the extremities of the end walls and confined between the cleats 18 on their inner sides and the flanges 15 and bails 19 on their outer sides. This interbraced arrangement of the vertical walls insures a comparatively rigid and stable construction of opentopped box or crate, and the goods may be readily packed therein without disturbing or displacing the parts of the box as thus as sembled. The box having been filled, the top or cover is then applied, the depending flanges 16 and 17 of the latter fitting snugly all around the vertical walls, thus securely locking said walls together at their upper margins,while the same function is performed for their lower margins by the upstanding flanges 15 16 of the bottom. Obviously then if the elements of the box be Well fitted and suitable means he provided for uniting the top and bottom members of the box against separation the box thus built up will possess substantially the strength and rigidity of a box wherein the several elements are positively united, as by nails or screws. suitable or convenient fastening devices may be employed for this purpose within the purview of my invention; but in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have illustrated my preferred locking means, which consists simply'of a cord or rope 22, connected at opposite sides of the box to the bails 19 and passing over the cover. Such a cord may be conveniently applied with but a single knot therein by laying it over the top of the box, carrying the two ends down over the bails, then bringing them up again and over the top and tying the meeting ends together in a knot 23'. When such a fastening device is employed, the mere untying of the knot or severance of the cord leaves the cover free to be removed and the box to be unpacked. This latter having been done, the cover is laid upon the floor or other horizontal support, the end walls are withdrawn and laid flat in the cover side by side, as shown in Fig. 6, the side walls are then similarly disposed in the cover, preferably transversely overlying the end walls, the bails are turned down within the bottom, and finally the latter is inverted and placed over the inverted coverand its contents in the manner plainly shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, after which the cord is passed around said parts and securely tied, and the collapsed box is ready to be-returned to the manufacturer or shipper of the goods, occupying for such purpose but a small fraction of the space 00- cupied when sent out loaded.

Myimproved box or crate has been designed more especially for use in the packing and shipment of bakery productssuch as biscuit, crackers, cakes, and the like-but it is obvious that it is equally well adapted for the 5 shipment of any other varieties of goods of comparatively lightweight. It is also obvious that the form and dimensions of the box are not of the essence of the invention.

I claim 1. A collapsible box or crate comprising top and bottom members provided with depending and upstanding marginal flanges, respectively, knockdown vertical walls adapted, when the box is set up, to be inclosed and 1:05 confined along their upper and lower margins by the flanges of the top and bottom members, respectively, a pair of braces pivoted in opposite sides, respectively, of one of said top and bottom members and foldable beno tween horizontal positions in which they lie flat against the inner surface of said member and vertical positions in which they contact the inner walls of its flanges, and adapted in the latter position to also externally contact I: 5 and brace the adjacent vertical walls of the box, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described collapsible box or crate comprising the bottom and cover provided with upstanding and depending mar- :20 ginal flanges, respectively, knockdown side and end walls adapted, when the box is set up, to be inclosed and confined along their lower and upper margins by the flanges of the bottom and cover, respectively, a pair of 12 5 foldable braces in the form of hinged bails pivoted in opposite sides of the bottom substantially in the planesand at the bases of the inner faces of the respective adjacent flanges of the bottom and foldable between 13c horizontal and vertical positions contacting my invention I have signed my name to this the inner surfaces of said bottom and its upspecification in the presence of two subscribto standing flanges, respectively, and adapted ing Witnesses. in the latter position to also externally contact and brace the adjacent side walls, and a CLARENCE RICHTER flexible connection uniting said bails over the Witnesses: cover, substantially as described. CHARLES W. YOUNG,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as W. S. CLARK.

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