US967923A - Knockdown crate. - Google Patents

Description

B. G. & R. M. HUTTON.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

Prue-Amon rILnD rms. 2,1910.

967,923. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

urmm d/Zan v B. G. &'R. M. HUTTON. KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. z, 1910.

967,923. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

BURTROM Gr. I-IUITON AND RAYMOND M. HUTTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed February 2, 1910. Serial No. 541,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BURTROM G. HUTTON and RAYMOND M. HUTTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Crates, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in knockdown crates, the object of the invention being to provide an improved crate of this character, which can be quickly knocked down when empty, and which will inclose the separating partitions between the articles normally carried by the crate, and may be returned, and in shipment occupy but a comparatively small space.

A further object is to provide a crate which may be quickly erected from its knock down form, and which will be securcly and stronglyf held in its built up shape, so as to thoroughly protect the contents of the crate, and provide improved mechanism for locking the crate in this built up and knocked down form.

A further object is to provide an im proved crate of this character, which is eX- tremely simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, yet strong and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illustrating our improved crate in built up form with the cover thrown back. Fig. 2, is a view in longitudinal section with the cover in closed position. Fig. 3, is a view in cross section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is an enlarged view in cross section at the center of the crate illustrating the cover latch. Fig. 5, is a detail per' spective view of one of the corner angles. Fig. 6, is a detail perspective view 'of one of the sleeved brackets. Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the crate in knocked down form. Fig. 8 is a view in longitudinal section of Fig. Fig. 9, is a view in cross section of Fig. 8. Fig. 10, is a view of the latch keeper, and Fig. 1l, is a view of the latch.

The crate may be made of wood, metal or any suitable material, and we do not therefore limit our invention to any particular material of which the several parts are made.

The crate comprises a bottom 1, to which strips 2, 2, are secured at right angles, and extend upward from the ends of the bottom forming small sections of the ends of the crate.

To the front and rear edges of bottom l, strips 3 are secured, and disposed at right angles to the bottom and to the strips 2, forming a box-like rigid structure, and it will be noted that the front strip 3 extends upward slightly higher than the back strip 4, and both of the strips 3 and 4 extend higher than do the end strips 2, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear when describing the knockdown features of the casglo the end strips 2 the crate ends 5 are connected by hinges 6, said hinges being located on the inside of the crate. To the front and back strips 3 and 4, the crate front 7 and back 8 are connected by hinges 6, and hereinafter in the description, the same reference character 6 will be used to indicate all of the hinges of the same type, this is the ordinary leaf hinge illustrated.

To the bottom l, and midway the length of the bottom, a transverse partition 9 is connected by hinges 6, and it will be noted particularly by reference to Fig. 2, that this partition 9 when in a vertical position, is appreciably shorter than the sides and ends of the crate, so as not to interfere with the operation of a stay rod 10 above the same. There are three of these stay rods 10 em ployed, one being located at the center above partition 9, and the other two adjacent the ends of the crate just inside of ends 5 and near the upper edges of the crate. These stay rods have their downwardly bent ends mounted so as to swing in sleeved brackets 11 secured to back 8, and their free ends are adapted to engage in eyes 12 on front 7.

The brackets l1 are made with elongated sleeves so as to prevent any downward pivotal movement of the stay rods with relation to the back 8, and hence maintain them always in their normal position, either across the crate when the latter is in built up form, or over against the back 8 when the crate is to be knocked down.

To the front 7 and back 8 at their ends, metal angles 13 are secured and are adapted, as shown in Fig. l, to overlap the ends 5,

` adjacentl its upper edge isa keeper 17, which wings or plates,which have pivotal con-nection with each other, so that in the normal operation of the cover, one of these pivotal' connections is operated, while when the crate is knocked down, the intermediate wing of the hinge enables the cover to be swung backward to accommodate itself' to the dimensions of the knockdown crate, as will hereinafter appear.

On thel inside of front 7 at its center, and

is of' metal and provided at its` upper end with a heart shaped recess 18, the upper end ofthe keeper being beveled as shown at 19, to direct themembers ofa spring latch 201 into the heart shaped recess. The spring latch 20 is secured to the under face of top 15, and is, preferably in the form of a wire spring coiled between its ends, the ends of the spring adapted to engage the beveled shoulders 19 and compress the members toward each other, and then spring into the heart shaped recess 18 to hold the cover inv closed position.

The crate in normal operation is adapted to containy on each side of partition 9, a plurality of removablev partitions or spacers in accordance with the articles carried in the crate, and while-the crate is especially designed for eggs, it is in no wise limited to such use.

To knock down the crate, the stay rods 10 are raised at their free` ends to free them from eyes 12 and the rods are then swung back against backV 8. `Partition 9-is then folded down on bottom 1, and the removable partitions ofi the crate illustrated at 21, are piled'on the bottom andthe-ends 5, 5, folded in upon them. lhe back 8 is then foldedl dow-n upon ends 5', 5, and cover 15 is thrown 'j back. The triple wing hinges 16l permit this movement, so that the cover 15- will lie j iushwith the rectangular formation off the crate. The front is then swung down on These hinges 16, which I refer to as three-wing hinges are provided with three 1 Y cover 15, and it will be noted that the angles i 13 of front. 7 are, provided with small recesses 22, which are adapted, when the crate f, is knocked down to en age over pins 28 on back 8, and thus hol the crate in this knocked down form, requiring a considerable pull on the front 7 to pull it up when the crate is once knocked down, thus serving as a lock to hold the crate in knocked down shape and itscontents within the same for its. return shipment.

Various slight changes might be made in Q the general form and arrangements of parts described without departing from our invention, and hence we do not restrict ourselves to the precise details set forth, but I consider ourselves at liberty to. make such 3 changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention what 1 we claim as new and desire to secure by Leti ters Patent is 1. In a knockdown crate, the combination l with ar bottom, of' strips secured to all edges of the bottom forming a receptacle, ends, front and back hinged to said strips, and

=` adapted to be folded inward, a top, double hinges connecting: the top and back, stay rods pivotally secured at one end to the back, eyes on the front, hooked ends on the f stay rods engaofing in said eyes,

secured to the f and angles ront and back and engaging over the outside of the ends.

2. Iny a knockdown crate, the combination with a bottom, of' strips secured to all edges i of the bottom forming a receptacle, ends,

front and back hinged to said strips, and

adapted to be folded inward, a top, double :hinges connecting the top and back, stayl rods pivotally secured at one end to the back, eyes on the front, hooked ends on the stay rods engaging in said eyes, angles sei cured to the front and back and engaging f over the outside of the ends, pins on the ends of the back, and said angles having recesses to receive the pins and hold the 4 parts'in knockdown formation.

In testimony whereof wel have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribingl witnesses.

BURTROM G. HUTTON. RAWOND M. HUTTON.

Witnesses:

R. KRENKEL, CHAs. E. Po'rfrs.

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