US945383A

US945383A - Shipping box or case.

Info

Publication number: US945383A
Application number: US48696909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher Fassnacht
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-03-31
Filing date: 1909-03-31
Publication date: 1910-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1927-01-04

Description

C. FASSNAGHT.

sHrPPmG Box on OASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 31, 1909. i

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

lllls IAA y@ rr v 2 SI'IEETS-SHBBT l.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. FASSNACHT.

SHIPPING BOX 0R CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a1, 1909.

CHRISTOPHER FASSNACHT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

SHIPPING BOX OR CASE.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, vCHRIs'roPiInR FASS- NAcii'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping Boxes or Cases; and I do hereby de|-:t that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon,

which forni a part of this specification.

This invention relates' to improvements in shipping boxes, crates or cases, and refers both to means for 'strengthening the box or case and also to an improved construction of a collapsible or knock-down box or case, the members of which are adapted to be detachably locked together in such manner that they may be knocked down and folded flat` for re-shipment.

The invention relates further to other features of improvement in ship ing cases or boxes, designed to improve and simplify the construction thereof, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawinvsz-Fivure 1 is a perspective view of a lPknockown box or case embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and .3 are cross-sections taken on lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of one corner ot the box or case, showing the means of joining the end walls to the side and bottom walls. Figs. '5 and (l are detail sections, taken on lines 5 5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one corner of the bottoni' wall, showing adjacent arts of the end wall, separated a distance tierefrom. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a box or casing showing means for further bracing the same.

Fig. 9 is'a detail illustrating a modification of the end walls andthe cleats. Fig. 10 is a further modification of the end walls and cleats. Fig. 11 is a detail illustrating a modification lof the mitered ends of the cleats.

The box comprises

side walls

10, 10, end walls 1l, 11,`a bottom wall 12 and a to wall 13. The. said walls may be made o thin boards, veneer or the like, and ,the side bottom and top walls may be made of one or more longitudinal pieces or strips. The walls Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 31, 1909.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 486,969.

of the box or case herein shown are solid, but obviously may be made of spaced slats of open construction in the manner of a typical crate. The side, top and bottom walls are provided at their end margins with strips or cleats 1G, the outer side faces of ywhich are flush with the margins of said walls. The said cleats 16 are beveled or niitered at their end faces 17, and they constitute, when fitted to ether, the end frame of the box or case. T e cleats may be provided on their inner edges with grooves 18, to receive the side, top and bottom margins of the end walls, thereby giving a anel effect to the end walls. The panel e ect may be otherwise given to theends, as shown in Fig. 9, hereinafter to be described. Applied to the inner sides of the end walls are filler boards 20 which, as shown in Figs. 1

to 7, inclusive, form at their margins outwardly facing shoulders 22, which bear against theinner edges of the cleats, and which serve, t0 strengthen the box or case at the eiidsthereof. The said filler boards 2O when employed are made of a thickness equal to the thickness of the parts 23 of the cleats inside the grooves thereof, whereby when the walls are assembled the inner faces of the boards 20 are flush with the inner side faces of the cleats, thus roducing smooth, continuous, inner walls of projections at the corners thereof. Obviously, the ends, consisting of the

boards

11 and 20 may be made of a sin rle board, cut at its margins to form the shou ders 20.

'T he sides of the box, that is to say .the side walls 10 aiid the top and

bottom walls

13 and 12, respectively, are bound together and to the end walls by binding wires or strips which are detachably interlocked at the corners of the box in such manner that the walls are securely tied to ether, while permitting them to be remove or detached one from the other. In the construction shown round wire is used. In the present construction each wall is provided with a plurality of

bindingl wires

25, or 26, three bein herein shown, oneflocated at each end and t 1e third near its longitudinal center. The said binding wires are fastened to the walls by staples 27 and may constitute means to join or connect the two or more strips or slats of a wall when the wall is made of more than one piece. The sta les 27, b which the binding wires are attac ed to t e ends of the box the case without and twisting the terminals about the' bodies .other at the .centers of the ends'.

of the wires.' The eyes 29 project be ond the walls or sides which carry them, an the tongues 28 likewise project beyond the sides or walls which bear them, so that when the walls are assembled the tongues are inserted through the eyes at the outer sides of the corners of the box and are bent backwardly upon themselves in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; The connection described constitutes a hinged connection,

whereby either wall or side may swing about its margins relatively to an adjoinin wall or side whenv theV box is being assemb ed or knocked down. Moreover, the top wall or side 13 constitutes a hinged cover when one margin thereof is released, as shown in Fig..

3. By forming all the tongues on oneset of'wires, as the wires 25, and all of the eyes on the other set of wires, as the wires 26, it 'will -be observedy that the turned over or folded terminals of the tongue w-ill occur on opposite sideslof the box or case, the lateral s1 es as'herein shown, so that' the othersides thereof, the top and bottom sides, as herein' shown, 'are free from projections, such as' would interfere with the box being shifted or slid on a Hoor on which it rests.

The end walls arefprovided with one or more brace members 30, -30 which extend diagonall across the wallsfrom corner to corner. iilhen two are used they cross each They are fixed 'to said ends by staples 31 or other suitable fastening devices. The said 'oblique cross braces serve to strengthen the ,end

' walls against diagonally applied crushing pressure. Like brace members or

wires

33, 33

may be applied lto the

sides

10, 12 and 13 of the box or case, as shown in Fig. 8. Said brace members are attached -to thev sides by staples 34 and extend diagonally 'across the sides and cross at the centers of the sides. Said brace members 33 maybe provided 'at their ends with inwardlyA turned prongs 35 which may be driven into the sides.v In the vconstruction of `box lherein shown, said prongs are driver. through the sides `into the cleats at the end margins of the sides. The bracing thus applied strengthens' or stifens the box in all directions and enables'the walls to be made comparatively light while possessing amplestrength.

The system of bracing may jbe applied to *'boxes, crates, or shipping cases of various kinds, and is especially valuable in knockdown box or case structures which are designed to be re-shipped in knockdown form, inasmuch. as it enables the box Walls to be made light without impairing their ynecessary strength, and thus reduces shipping cost. Moreover, the system of bracing aids to prevent warping of the thin boards of veneer, o-r other l material of which knock-down boxes or cases are preferably made. As a further and separate improvement, the said brace `members or Wires may be arranged to constitute a connection between adjoining walls and thereby aid tohold the 'walls together when assembled. Such connection between the brace wires or members and adjoining walls is herein shown as applied to the end wall braces. To this end the said brace wires 30 may exthereof, and may be provided with angular turned portions or.hooks 36, 37 which are adapted to enter appropriately located

notches

38, 39 in the beveled or in-itered endv faces 17 of the cleats. The laterally turned the brace members `arel directed outwardly and engage the lupwardly opening notches 38 at theup er lends of the end cleats of lthe lateral si e walls. The hooked or la`terally turned Vportions 37 at the lower ends of said brace members' are directed inwardly and downwardly' and engage the notches 39 at the ends of the `cleats of the bottom side wall. The said hooked ends of the braces are suiiciently resilient to allow them tospring inwardly or outwardly for engagementwith or disengagement from the cleats, and the spring or resiliency of the braces serves to hold the hooked portions thereof securely engaged with the notched portionsof' the cleats when.` the parts are assembled.

The construction described affords, as will be clearly obvious from an inspection. of Fig. 3, means to;securely connect the bottom` and 4side walls .of the box with the end walls, and to prevent the lateral side walls of tliecleats of the'side1walls. This construction, it will be observed, provides a walls of the box, to wit,'the end Walls, the bottom and lateral side walls, so that the box, with the top wall omitted, is suiiciently rigid to lhold the 'arts securely together while the box is eing filled, thus avoidingthe necessity of placing the box in a form to hold the walls in position during the filling operation. The interlocking connection of the braces of the end Walls of the box, 'when combined with the 'shouldered engagement of said end walls with the cleats connection for holdingassembled the five l tend beyond the end walls at the corners portions or hooks 36 at the upper' ends of j .from swinging outwardly when the hooks" 36 'are engaged with the upper notched ends or lateral side walls, produces a box or case of great strength to resist crushing pressure or tendency of the box walls to spread apart.

In assembling the box or case the bottom wall is first placed on a support and the end walls are placed with'their lower tongued margins 21 engaging the grooves of the bottom Wall cleats.v In forcln the end walls into the grooved bottom c eats the lower hooked ends of the brace wires 30 spread apart and are automatically engaged with the notches 39 of said bottom cleats. The side walls are then assembled on the bottom and end Walls, the tongues 28 of the bindin wires of said side walls being passed throng the eyes 29 of the bottom wall and bent backwardly upon themselves to constitute a lockin engagement of the binding wires of the si e and bottom walls. side walls are pressed toward the end walls to engage the grooved cleats thereof vwith the side margins of said end walls. As the' upper sides of theside Walls move into place the hooked upper ends of the bracesvSO are automatically engaged with the notches 38 t at the upper en of the side wall cleats. The box or'case is now in position to be filled, and when filled the top Wallis applied by engaging the eyes of the binding wires at one side thereof with the u wardly extending tongues on one side wall) of the box, andthereafter bending the tongues back upon themselves. The top at this time constitutes aswinging lid or cover and is swung downwardly in the manner of an ordinary lid to pass the eyes 29 vat the free margin thereof over the ton es 28 of the adjacent l side wall, after whic said tongues are folded backwardly upon Vthemselves to complete the locking of the walls of the box together. When thebox is to be knocked down or disassembled, the bent over tongues are straightened so that they may be disengaged from the eyes to ermit-thewalls to be se arated. In detac ing the upper sides of tllie side walls from the end walls the brace wires 30 are sprung inwardly or toward each other at their upper ends to release the hooks 36 from the notches 38. The lower ends of the brace wires are spread apart to release the hooks 37 from the notches 39. I may provide both ends of the side wall cleats with the notches 38 in order that the side walls may be reversed, edge for edge, while providing for proper' locking connection between the up er ends of the brace wires and the side wall) cleats. The arrangement of each binding wire or

strip

25 or 26, with an eye formedou each end, or a tongue on each end, permits the parts to be thus reversed and to properly interlock when assembled.

As shown in Fig. 9, the end wall 40l is a single thickness wall or panel and is beveled at its n'iargins to tit beveled grooves 41 of Thereafter the the cleats 42. In this construction the inner face of the single thickness thin end or panelis flush with the inner sides of the cleats 42 to provide smooth or non-projecting walls at the corners of the box. The brace wires 30 lof said end walls or panels ,engage at their ends notches 43 formed in the end faces of the cleats somewhat closer to the inner sides of the cleats than in the construction previously described. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 10, the cleats 45 are made without grooves and the end walls or panels 46 are located wholly inside, and overlap at their margins the inner. faces, of said cleats. Said ends or panels 46 are made of such dimensions as to closely fit at their margins the inner faces at the bottom, top and lateral sides of the box or case. In this construction the brace rods 30 will be sprung outwardly from the ends 46 fori engagement with the notches 47 in the ends of the cleats, which notches are located closely adjacent to the inner sides of said cleats. The lateral sides of the box or case will be held-to the ends in the same manner as before, and resilienc of the ends of the braces 30 act to hold t e ends up against the cleats. If the contents of the box or case are such as to exactly fill the same this construction will be found to be amply strong.'

I n some .instances 1 may find it desirable AAs shown in said Fig. 11, one of the cleats 49 is formed at its mitered end with a projectin squared or. other suitably shaped shoul er 50 which engages al like shaped notch 51 formed in the mitered end of the adjacent cleat. The end joints of the'cleats maybe otherwise formed to strengthen the connections between the same.

It is to'be understood that the construction ma .be otherwise variedA and modified within t e scope and s irit of my invention,

and I do not limit the lnvention to the structural details shown except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

Reference iliadey in'the appended claims to box sides are' intended to desi ate the bottom and top sides as well as tie lateral sides, except where the sides or side walls are more specifically designated.

I claim as m invention 1. A knockown box or crate comprising separable side and end walls, the side walls belng provided withinwardly facing shoulders which abut against outwardly facing mar in al shoulders of the end walls, stiftening races extending across said end walls and having interlocking connection at their ends with the side walls, and binding means extend-in around the side walls for releasably hol ing the walls together.

lto shoulder the mitered ends of the cleats, ,as shown in Fig. 11, and thus strengthen 'said cleats agamst relative displacement.

2. A knock-down box or crate ycomprising side and end Walls, each separable from. the other, and stiifening braces extending across said end Walls and having interlockin connection at their ends with the side Wals. i

3. A knock-down box4 or crate comprising end, side and bottom Walls, each separable from the other, and means to detachably fasten the side Walls to the end Walls and to fasten each side Wall to both sides of the bottom Wall.

4. In a knock-down box or crate, end, side and bottom Walls, and means for detachably fastening the side and bottom Walls to the end Walls and the upper edges of the side Walls to the diagonally opposite edges of the bottom Wall.

5. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, each separable from the other, and means carried by the end Walls to releasably fasten the side Walls to the end Walls, embracing stifi'ening braces attached to the end Walls, and to brace said end Walls.

6. A knock-down box or crate comprising end, top and bottom end lateral side Walls, and bracings for the end Walls which serve as means for connecting the same with the l lateral side 'and bottom Walls.

7. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, each separable from the other, and stiffening braces for the end walls adapted for detachable engagement with the side Walls to releasably interlock the side walls to the end Walls.

8. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable side and end Walls, the side Walls bemg provided at their ends with cleats and the end Walls having overlapping and shouldered engagement with said cleats and arranged to provide at the end corners smooth or non-projecting Wall surfaces, and stiffening braces for the end-Walls arranged for -releasable interlocking engagement with the side Walls.

9. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, each separable from the other, and stifening braces extending diagonally across said end Walls and crossing at the centers of the endwalls, said braces being arranged at their ends for releasable interlocking engagement With the side Walls.

10. A knock-down box or crate having separable side and end Walls, the side Walls being provided at their ends with cleats engaged by the margins of the end Walls, and stitfening braces extending diagonally across the. end walls and meeting at the centers of said Walls, the ends of said braces being arranged to engage the cleats at the ends of the latter to lock the side walls to the end Walls.

11. A knock-down box or crate having separable side and endiwalls, the side Walls being provided at their end mar ins with cleats which are fitted together at t eir ends,

.and the end Walls having engagement With saidcleats, and stiening braces extending diagonally across the end Walls and meeting at the centers thereof, the said cleats being provided at their ends With notches and the ends of the braces being adapted 'for engagement with the notches of the cleat ends.

12. A knock-down box or case comprising end and lateral, bottom and top sides, each separable from the other, and combined bracing and fastening means for releasably connecting the ends With the bottom and lateral sides to form a rigid open box or crate Without the top side said means comprising stiftening braces extending across said' ends and having interlocking connection at their ends With the side Walls. y

13. A knock-down box or crate comprising end and lateral, bottom and top sides, each having interlocking connection at their ends I,

with the side Walls, and binding means exteiding'transversely around the assembled s1 es.

14. A knock-down box or crate comprising endsv and lateral and bottom and top sides separable each from the other, means for rcleasably connecting the ends With the bottom and lateral sides to form a rigid open box or case Without the to`p side, binding devices extending across each side, and means for releasably interlocking the ends of the binding devices at the corners of the box sides.

15. A knock-down box or crate comprising end and side Walls, binding devices carried by the side wall for releasably fastening the side Walls together, said side Walls being provided at their ends with grooved cleats and the end Walls fitting at their margins in the grooves of said cleats and provided with exterior diagonal braces which cross atthe y centers of the end Walls and are interlocked at their ends with said cleats. y,

16. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side Walls, the side walls.l being provided with binding Wires, whichextend transversely across the same and beyond the side margins of theside Walls and are provided at their ends with interlocking means, the lateral side walls being reversible and the top and bottom side Walls being likewise reversible.

17. A knock-down box or cratecomprising end and side Walls, the side Walls being `provided with binding Wires extending transversely across the same and beyond theirside margins, the. bindingl wires of one wall bein provided at each of their ends wlth eyes an the binding wires of an adjoining Wall being provided at each of their ends with tongues adapted to pass through said e es and to be bent backwardly upon themse ves to interlock the binding Wires of adjoining Walls.

18. A box or crate comprising end and side Walls and stiffening braces extending diagonally across said Walls and. crossing at the centers of the walls and connected at their ends to said Walls atthe corners of the box or crate.

19. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls, and sti'ening braces extending diagonally across said Walls and crossing at the centers of the walls and fixed at their ends to saidwalls at the corlners of the box or crate, the end wall braces being releasably connected with` the side i Walls.

20. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls, stiening braces extending `diagonally across said walls and crossing at the centers of the Walls and ixed at their ends to said Walls at the corners of the box or crate, the end Wall braces being releasabl connected with the side walls, and binding devices extending transversely around the sidewalls and releasably interlocked at their ends.

21. VA knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls, and stitl'ening i braces extending diagonally across said walls and crossing at the centers of the walls and fixed at their ends to said walls at the corners of the box or crate, and binding wires extending around the side walls of the box or case parallel with the end edges thereof.

2Q. The combination with a box or crate, of bracing means for the wall thereof comprising brace rods or Wires extending diagonally across the wall and crossing at the center thereof and attached along their length to the Wall. 23. The combination with a box or crate, of'bracing means for the Wall thereof oomprising brace rods or wires extending diagonally across the wall and crossing at the center thereof, said wires or rods being provided at their ends with prongs which are driven into the Wall, and means for attaching the brace rods or Wires along their length to the box wall. In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature' in the resence of two witnesses, this 19t-h day of arch A. D. 1909.

CHRISTOPHER FASSNACHT. Witnesses:

R. G. INwoon, JAMES W. TAYLOR.